On 28 March, the Council of Ministers approved the Royal Decree on the calling of local elections and the assemblies of Ceuta and Melilla, to be held on Sunday 28 May 2023.
This Royal Decree was published in the Official State Gazette on Tuesday 4 April, when it came into force.
The autonomous communities of Aragón, Asturias, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castille-La Mancha, Ceuta, Valencian Community, Extremadura, Balearic Islands, Madrid, Melilla, Murcia, Navarra, and La Rioja have also approved their electoral decrees, with their own corresponding calendars and deadlines for candidates to run for their autonomous parliaments.
When does the election campaign start and how long does it last?
It will run for a fortnight, starting at 00.00 on Friday 12 May and ending at 24.00 on Friday 26 May.
The local corporations will be dissolved on Friday 26 May.
A day of reflection will be held on Saturday 27 May.
What time do polling stations open?
Polls will be open on Sunday 28 May from 09:00 to 20:00.
What are the deadlines for postal voting?
Postal voting can be requested from 4 April until 18 May.
How do I vote by post?
You will need to pick up an application form from the Post Office, where it will be available from 4 April.
On the form you should indicate the postal address to which you want the electoral documentation to be sent (this can be your home address, your place of work or a post office box).
The Electoral Census Office will send you the following documentation to the address indicated:
- One ballot paper from each of the political parties running in each of the votes called.
- One voting envelope for each vote
- A census registration certificate.
- An envelope with your polling station information.
- An explanatory sheet.
Once you have received the documentation, choose the ballot paper for each process in which you are going to vote and insert it in the corresponding voting envelope (or do not include a ballot paper if you decide leave your vote blank).
- Insert the voting envelope(s) and the certificate of registration in the census into the envelope on which the address of your polling station is written.
- Do not put any document proving your identity inside the voting envelope, as this will mean that the polling station will invalidate your vote.
- Take this envelope to a post office and send it by registered post at least three days before the elections are held. Shipping is free of charge. At the office you must present an original valid ID card.
On election day, the Correos postal service company will send all envelopes containing postal votes to polling stations from 9 am to 8 pm.
At the end of voting and before the votes are counted, the polling station will place the envelopes received by postal ballot in the ballot box.
Can I change my mind and vote in person?
- No. If you apply to vote by post, and your application is accepted, you will not be able to vote in person at your polling station on polling day.
How do I apply for a postal vote if I am temporarily away or on holiday abroad?
If you are temporarily away or on holiday abroad and wish to exercise your right to vote, you must:
- Complete and submit the form in person at the consulate or embassy before 29 April. You can find it at the consulate or embassy of the country where you are, or download it from the specified websites for this purpose.
- In order to apply, you must be registered in the consular register of the country where you are a non-resident.
- Both procedures (application and registration) can be carried out at the same time.
What documents will you send me?
The electoral roll office will send you:
- A fact sheet.
- Ballot papers and envelopes.
- Certificate of registration on the electoral roll.
- An envelope addressed to your polling station.
- A form for refunding postal vote postage costs.
The envelope addressed to the polling station must contain the following information:
- Voting envelopes with your choice of vote.
- A census registration certificate.
- If you wish, the completed form for the return of postage and packing costs.
Send the envelope by registered mail no later than 24 May.
For these votes to be valid, the envelope must be clearly marked with a postmark or other official inscription from a post office of the state concerned, certifying that it has been sent within the prescribed time limit.
The Post Office will keep correspondence addressed to the polling station until the day of the vote and will transfer it between 9.00am and 8.00pm on the same day.
Other postal voting situations
Navy, merchant navy or deep-sea fishing fleet personnel, bearing the Spanish flag and who are at sea, can check their voting procedure on the website of the Ministry of Home Affairs. INFOELECTORAL.
The same website can be used by people on international missions, Guardia Civil personnel on exceptional operations linked to National Security and prison inmates.
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