WANT TO VOTE BUT NOT HERE

THE local elections for councils will take place across Spain on May 28, 2023. If you don’t have any clue about this, the chances are you haven’t registered to vote. If you are an EU citizen and have voted before and have kept your Padron up to date, you may well still appear on the Electoral Roll.

I don’t know why it is, but improving the system always seems to make it more complicated, so brace yourselves!

If you have registered, you will be able to check that your name appears on the Electoral Register. Here is the order of things. On April 4, 2023, a State bulletin will be published confirming the date of May 28 for the Local Elections throughout Spain.

From April 10 to 17 you will be able to go to your local town hall to confirm that your name is on the electoral register. From April 10 to 20 you can make an appeal if you have registered and your name doesn’t appear on the electoral role. On April 21 an updated list will be published.

If you wish to exercise your vote, but will not be at your habitual place of residence on May 28, there are options to vote either electronically or by postal vote. If you are unable to go to the polling stations in person because of physical disability, there is also some provision made for this.

As a resident in Spain there are basically two ways to vote by post.

Firstly, personally by each voter (except in the case of illness or accredited disability, when another person may be authorised) at any Post Office and request the form to vote by post. You can do this until May 18, although that may be a bit late for everything to arrive on time.

Get the official form from the Post Office and hand it in personally to any post office (check the date and corresponding post office stamp). It is essential to present your DNI, Passport or Driving Licence (the receipt of the DNI in process is not valid), in order to verify your identity and signature. The presentation of these documents will be accepted, even if they have expired, but they must be originals, never photocopies. From May 8 to 21, you will receive the necessary documents to your home address. Put the voting paper into the envelope and take the enclosed certificate of registration with you (that comes with all the papers) and present both, separately to the Post Office. Secondly, telematically by submitting the official form by means of a digital certificate through the Correos website. Your digital certificate will confirm your identity. You can fill in and submit the form without having to go to Correos.

Once you have registered for a postal vote by either means, you will not be able to go in person to vote even if your circumstances change.

So, to summarise, and this applies to RESIDENTS IN ANDALUCIA

1) VOTE APPLICATION: From April 4 to May 18

2) RECEIVING VOTING DOCUMENTATION: From May 8 to 21

3) RETURN OF VOTING DOCUMENT BY VOTERS: From May 8 to 24 (at the latest)