Active sufrage and electoral rolls

Spaniards residing in Spain. Spaniards of legal age residing in Spain who are registered in the electoral roll may vote in all elections called.

Spaniards residing abroad. Spaniards temporarily residing abroad can vote in all elections held. Spaniards permanently residing abroad (CERA) can only vote in elections to the Legislative Assemblies of the Autonomous Communities and the Assemblies of Ceuta and Melilla.

European Union citizens residing in Spain. They can vote in local elections. In order to vote they must register in the electoral roll and, to be able to do so, they must be of legal age on the day of voting, be registered on the municipal register and have declared their intention to vote in the municipal elections. The declaration of willingness to exercise the right to vote in Spain is permanent while the citizen of a European Union country continues to reside in Spain, unless otherwise stated. Citizens of countries with reciprocity agreements on participation in municipal elections.

Countries with current reciprocity agreements signed by Spain are: Norway, Ecuador, New Zealand, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Iceland, Bolivia, Cape Verde, the Republic of Korea and Trinidad and Tobago, which are states that recognise the right to vote in municipal elections of Spanish citizens residing in their territory.

The citizens of the above States residing in Spain can vote in municipal elections and elections to local bodies in a territorial area smaller than a municipality (EATIM). To be able to vote they must register in the electoral roll of the municipal elections after submitting an application. (The deadline for submitting this application was 15 January.)

Conditions for citizens of the above-mentioned States to exercise their right to vote in Spanish municipal elections:

Citizens of Norway, Ecuador, New Zealand, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Iceland, Bolivia, Cape Verde, the Republic of Korea and Trinidad and Tobago who are over eighteen years of age on the day of voting and not deprived of the right to active suffrage may vote in municipal (and EATIM) elections in Spain.

To do so, they must be in possession of the corresponding authorisation to reside in Spain.

They must have been legally resident in Spain for the period of time required by the corresponding agreement (five years at the moment of the application for registration in the electoral roll and, in the case of Norwegian nationals, three years on the day of voting).

They will exercise their right to vote in the municipality of their usual residence, on whose municipal register they must appear.

Registration in the electoral roll by foreigners residing in Spain is an essential requirement for exercising the right to vote.

All Spaniards of legal age residing in Spain and those temporarily residing abroad (ERTA) who appear in the roll may vote in all elections that are called.

Spaniards permanently resident abroad (CERA) can only vote in elections to the Legislative Assemblies of the Autonomous Communities and the Assemblies of Ceuta and Melilla.

European Union citizens residing in Spain. They can vote in local elections. In order to vote they must be registered in the electoral roll and, to be able to do so, they must be of legal age on the day of voting, be registered on the municipal register and have declared their intention to vote in Spain in the municipal elections. The declaration of willingness to exercise the right to vote in Spain is permanent while the person from a European Union country continues to reside in Spain, unless otherwise stated.

Citizens of countries with reciprocity agreements on participation in municipal elections.

Countries with current reciprocity agreements signed by Spain are: Norway, Ecuador, New Zealand, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Iceland, Bolivia, Cape Verde, the Republic of Korea, United Kingdom and Trinidad and Tobago, which are states that recognise the right to vote in municipal elections of Spanish citizens residing in their territory.

The citizens of the above States residing in Spain can vote in municipal elections and elections to local bodies in a territorial area smaller than a municipality (EATIM). To be able to vote they must appear in the electoral rolls of the municipal elections after submitting an application. (The deadline for submitting this application was 15 January.)

Conditions for citizens of the above-mentioned States to exercise their right to vote in Spanish municipal elections:

Citizens of countries with agreements over eighteen years of age on the day of voting who enjoy the right to active suffrage may vote in municipal (and EATIM) elections in Spain.

To do so, they must be over eighteen years of age on the day of voting and be in possession of the corresponding authorisation to reside in Spain.

They must have been legally resident in Spain for the period of time required by the corresponding agreement (five years at the moment of the application for registration in the electoral roll and, in the case of Norwegian and United Kingdom nationals, three years on the day of voting).

They will exercise their right to vote in the municipality of their usual residence, on whose municipal register they must appear.

Voters who will not be able to vote:

• Persons sentenced to disqualification from the right to vote by virtue of a firm legal ruling.

Not in Spain. No person may be obliged or coerced to exercise their right to vote or to disclose their vote under any pretext.

Voting (the exercise of the right to suffrage) is universal, free, equal, direct and secret.

• Universal, because it can be exercised by all persons of legal age in full use of their civil and political rights.
• Free, because no one can be obliged to vote.
• Equal, because all votes have the same value in the constituency.
• Direct, because our votes are used to designate the people we want to represent us in public affairs.
• Secret, because no one can be obliged to reveal how they vote.

The electoral roll is a database containing the registrations of everyone meeting the requirements to vote who are not permanently or temporarily deprived of the right to suffrage.

The electoral roll is unique and permanent and it is updated on a monthly basis.

The electoral roll in the case of Local and Autonomous Community Elections is made up of the following:

• Electoral Roll of Residents in Spain (CER).
• Electoral Roll of Foreign Nationals Resident in Spain (CERE) for the municipal elections. They can vote in the municipal (and EATIM) elections.
• The Electoral Roll of Spaniards permanently residing abroad (CERA). They can vote in the elections to the Assemblies of Ceuta and Melilla and the elections to the Legislative Assemblies of the Autonomous Communities.

The CERE includes citizens of the European Union residing in Spain and the following countries with current reciprocity agreements: Noruega (PDF), Ecuador (PDF), New Zealand (PDF), Colombia (PDF), Chile (PDF), Peru (PDF), Paraguay (PDF), Iceland (PDF), Bolivia (PDF), Cape Verde (PDF), the Republic of Corea (PDF), United Kingdom (PDF), Trinidad and Tobago (PDF), which are states that recognise the right to vote in municipal elections of Spanish citizens residing in their territory.

Registration in the CERE of persons from countries with current reciprocity agreements will only be valid for the municipal elections for which applications for registration in the CERE are made. (The deadline for applications to the CERE ended on 30 January.)

In order to register in the CERE, citizens of the European Union must appear on the Municipal Register and have made a formal declaration of their wish to exercise their right to vote in Spain in the municipal elections. The declaration of willingness is permanent while the citizen of a European Union country continues to reside in Spain, unless otherwise stated.

The electoral roll is drawn up by the Electoral Census Office, a body within the National Statistics Institute (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation) which exercises its powers under the direction and supervision of the Central Electoral Board.

The Town Councils, the Spanish Consular Offices abroad and the Consular Sections of the Diplomatic Missions are the bodies responsible for the ex officio registration of voters.

To draw up the roll, the Electoral Census Office:

• Coordinates the process of drawing up the electoral roll and, for this purpose, it may issue instructions to the Town Councils and Consulates, as well as those responsible for the Civil Register and the Central Registry of Criminal Records.
• Supervises the process of drawing up the electoral roll and, for this purpose, it may inspect the Town Councils and Consulates.
• Monitors and reviews the registrations and de-registrations processed by the competent bodies ex officio and draws up a national voter file.
• Eliminates multiple registrations of a single person that have not been detected by the Town Councils and Consulates.

The roll used in each electoral process is the one completed on the first day of the second month prior to the date of the announcement of the elections.

In the case of the 28 May elections, the roll will be the one completed on 3 February.

However, Organic Law 5/1985 on the General Electoral System provides for a rectification period once the elections have been called between 10 and 17 April.

The Town Councils and Consulates will display the current electoral lists of their respective municipalities from 10 to 17 April.

In addition, the Electoral Census Office will send all voters a census card with the updated details of their registration in the electoral roll and the Section and Polling Station where they must vote.

Similarly, it will be possible to view the data on the polling places and polling stations via the Internet on the INE website www.ine.es without the need for a digital certificate.

To view each person’s individual registration details, which will also include those of their corresponding polling station and places, it will be necessary to use a digital certificate. This can be accessed via the INE website(www.ine.es) from the day of the publication of the announcement of the elections.

If, during the period in which the lists are displayed (from 10 to 17 April), any person observes that they are unduly included in or excluded from the electoral roll, they may submit a claim to the Provincial Delegation of the Electoral Census Office. The latter, within a period of three days, will resolve the claims and order the rectifications that will have to be displayed to the general public on 21 April. In addition, it will inform the claimant and the corresponding Town Council or Consulate of the decision that is made.

In particular, persons who have changed their address or those voting for the first time should check whether their data are correct.