The JEC opens a file sanctioning Vox for hiring electoral propaganda before the 23J campaign

The arbitration body recalls that Abascal's formation repeats this practice and that it was not identified in the announcements

The Central Electoral Board (JEC) has agreed to open a disciplinary file against Vox for hiring electoral propaganda before the start of the campaign for the general elections on July 23, a reason for which this formation was already warned during the electoral process of the elections on May 28.

The arbitration body has partially upheld the complaint filed by the PSOE against the formation of Santiago Abascal for the advertisements with the slogan 'Sánchez destroys Spain' that appeared published in the digital medium 'okdiario' before July 7, when the campaign for these elections began.

The arbitration body has adopted this majority agreement but before its decision the presentation of a particular vote has been announced.

The JEC emphasizes that by hiring electoral advertising before the campaign, Vox violated article 53 of the Electoral Law and recalls that there is an instruction from the agency itself that makes it clear that this prohibition also affects digital media.

It also rejects Vox's argument that the hiring of electoral propaganda advertising in digital media is part of "the exercise of the ordinary activities of the parties, coalitions or federations."

The JEC recalls that the law seeks to "reduce electoral expenses until the strict period of the electoral campaign, without the prohibition being able to be circumvented by claiming that they are ordinary activities of the political formation or that the insertions made are not aimed at attracting votes".

"The fact that the voter's vote is not expressly requested is not a reason not to consider as electoral propaganda any activity that directly or indirectly seeks to attract votes," the JEC's letter abounds, noting that the aforementioned ads "include slogans and messages that reflect the intention of persuading the voter in order to support the advertiser, seeking their reaction against the main candidate of another political formation of the opposite sign."

"This activity would be legitimate if it were done within the party's profile or page, but as it is a commercial contract it incurs the prohibition established in article 53 of the LOREG", remarks the arbitration body in a letter collected by Europa Press.

The arbitration body recalls that Vox repeats a behavior for which it was already warned before the elections on May 28 and that on June 26 the Madrid Zone Electoral Board "made a similar reminder" for having violated the same precept of the Electoral Law.

Likewise, the JEC emphasizes that the aforementioned advertisements do not include a "visible reference" to the political formation that contracted the advertising insertion, which contradicts the principle of transparency that the organization must ensure.

NO ANONYMOUS ADVERTISING

"The anonymous dissemination of advertising inserts and electoral propaganda is contrary to the principle of transparency that must govern the development of the entire electoral campaign; therefore, in the case at hand, Vox must make its ownership of the contracted advertising inserts easily visible to the public to comply with the principle of transparency imposed by article 8 of the LOREG," he points out.

Regarding the non-compliance with the data protection regulations that Vox alleges, the JEC indicates that the PSOE as the complainant will have the option of addressing the administrative or judicial authority that it deems appropriate to assert its rights.

For all these reasons, the JEC initiates a disciplinary file "for the person who, within the Vox political formation, is ultimately responsible for the decision to carry out or maintain the reference advertising contract during the electoral period", asks that that person be identified and designates the member Andrés Palomo del Arco as its instructor, and Carlos Gutiérrez Vicén as secretary.