This isn’t a begging letter, it’s a wake up call. For those who like to avoid these things because it’s ‘not your thing’ or you don’t want to ‘get involved’ it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee.
I’m going to be honest with you, as a foreigner in Ibiza we’re a 2nd class citizen, the authorities will tell you otherwise but that’s the plain truth. That’s the way it is and that’s the way it’s always been but it’s OK because there’s plenty of us in it together.
But here’s the good news, voting in the local municipal elections is your ONLY way to make a real difference in Ibiza. Your democratic right as a citizen of your municipality means that you have the choice of who to vote for, who leads your local council.
I’m not going to tell you who to vote for, that’s a deeply personal decision, I may campaign at a later date for a political party but my passion is to see British & other foreigners at the polling station come Election Day in May 2019, making a difference.
The British in Ibiza are a strange bunch, I know I’m one of them. We’re not terribly keen to ‘get involved’ hoping that others will sort the problems for us. Most Brits don’t even speak the local language very well, a problem when your mother tongue is the worlds language and you can get by without it, although this is no excuse.
Other foreign communities on the island such as the the Rumanians understand the power of the vote and get organised, negotiating with parties and block voting. Clever people those Rumanians.
But let me be clear. As an immigrant It’s all we’ve got.
We can’t vote in the Spanish general election. We can’t vote for the island council. We can only vote in the municipal elections. 1 paltry vote but what a vote it is! The power to help decide who runs your local council and who makes the big decisions that you have to live with on a daily basis.
To me it’s quite a simple analogy. If you don’t vote you forfeit your right to complain. You forfeit your right to have a voice. You’re invisible.
It’s such a simple procedure too. As long as you have a residency card and are registered at your town hall, all you have to do is walk in and fill out a form. Takes less than 5 minutes to do it but it can make a world of difference and the politicians know it.
Nobody knows what will happen in the 2019 municipal elections, history hasn’t been written yet but one thing for sure is that the silent majority will decide as they always do. The silent majority are those who register to vote and make an informed decision but don’t shout about it. These are the ones who make the big difference, just make sure you’re one of them
European citizens have until 30 January 2019 to register to vote at their local town hall. To be able to vote you must have a green residency certificate plus be ’empadronado’.
"MAN IN SAN AN" by Martin Makepeace 
Dear FRIENDS and RESIDENTS of IBIZA 🍀 You may have noted and experienced, that the political situation in Ibiza turned critical, with MANY
unsustainable, unacceptable new laws and restrictive regulations.
On MAY 23rd 2019 we have LOCAL ELECTIONS on the island and WE, ALL RESIDENTS, ARE ENTITLED BY LAW TO VOTE.
Almost 27.000 residents are registered in Ibiza and EVERYONE has the right and maybe the obligation, to vote! Especially throughout the last months, laws and so called “caution” actions have popped up quickly, to inline the restrictive and harmful policy of the administrators , that are ruling the island at the moment. We residents, can speak out for the many turists, who have no right to vote and also seem to have little or NO value for the ruling political parties . Turism is the industry we and the island lives off. But it is also about us and conserving the values which make us, year after year, spend most of our time on Ibiza .
This time we must vote! These values are in great danger.
It is just ONE small step to vote:
You print out the attachement, fill it out and drop it at your townhall before the 25th OF JANUARY ✅
PLEASE ACTIVATE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE!!! and PLEASE forward this message to residents you know.
IBIZA NEEDS YOU ❣
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Elections are Sunday 26 May 2019 & residents have until 31 Jan to register to vote
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