How the municipal vote shapes housing, services and local priorities

Key rules

• Election day: Municipal elections are held every four years on the fourth Sunday of May.
• Mayor: Councillors choose the mayor, not voters directly, so pacts after the vote can decide who governs.
• No majority: If nobody wins an absolute majority of councillors, the head of the most-voted list becomes mayor.
• Foreign residents: EU citizens and nationals of countries with reciprocity agreements can vote locally if they are registered.

Why the local vote matters to you

The town hall decides much of what you notice every day: local housing policy, street cleaning, parks, local transport, markets, sports centres, local taxes and how licences are handled. The councillors you vote for set these priorities. If you rent or plan to buy, what your council does about housing and local services affects you directly.

When municipal elections happen

Municipal elections are held every four years, on the fourth Sunday of May. Most regional elections fall on the same day. Some regions vote on their own dates: the Basque Country, Galicia, Catalonia, Andalusia and Castilla y León. General elections are also every four years, and European Parliament elections every five years, in June. An early dissolution can move a date, so check the current calendar with your town hall.

How the mayor is chosen

You do not vote for the mayor directly. You vote for a list of candidates for the council. After the vote, the new councillors meet at the first session of the council, called the constituent session, and choose the mayor.

• A candidate who heads a list and wins an absolute majority of councillors becomes mayor.
• If nobody reaches that majority, the head of the list that won the most votes in the election becomes mayor.

This is why parties often make pacts after the vote. They agree to back one candidate so that candidate reaches the majority. Pacts can change who runs your town compared with who came first. Very small towns of under 250 inhabitants that run as an open council (concejo abierto) use a different system. Ask your town hall if you live in one.

Why a foreign resident's vote counts

If you are a foreign resident who is entitled to vote, your vote counts the same as anyone else's. Entitled voters are mainly EU citizens, plus nationals of countries with reciprocity agreements with Spain, such as Norway, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. UK citizens can vote only under certain conditions since 2020. These voters are a small share of the electorate in total, but councils are often decided by narrow margins, and in some towns with many foreign residents your vote can matter more. To vote you must be registered on the local census, so check your eligibility and registration with your town hall well before an election.

The questions below cover how often elections happen, what happens without a majority, and how many foreign residents vote.

Frequently asked questions

How often are municipal elections held in Spain?

Municipal elections are held every four years, on the fourth Sunday of May. Most regional elections fall on the same day, but some regions vote on their own dates, including the Basque Country, Galicia, Catalonia, Andalusia and Castilla y León. An early dissolution can shift a date.

What happens if no one wins a majority of councillors in the mayor vote?

The head of the list with the most votes in the municipal election becomes mayor. This applies when no candidate gets an absolute majority of councillors at the first council meeting.

How many foreign residents can vote in municipal elections?

Foreign residents who can vote in municipal elections number a few hundred thousand people, a small share of the electorate. Most are EU citizens, plus nationals of countries with reciprocity agreements, such as Norway, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The UK is included only under certain conditions since 2020.