What election day looks like for foreign voters

Terms used

• Padrón — The padrón is the register of residents kept by your town hall, based on your home address.
• Tarjeta censal — The tarjeta censal is the polling card sent by post before an election, showing your polling station and table.
• TIE — The TIE is the foreigner identity card issued to non-EU residents in Spain.
• Vocales — The vocales are the two members who sit on a polling table alongside the president.
• Opción de voto — The opción de voto is an application non-EU nationals must make beforehand to be able to vote.

Key rules

• ID: Only an original, valid document works at the station; photocopies are refused.
• Table duty: If you are drawn, you must serve unless you give a justified excuse within seven days.
• Postal vote: Return your postal vote by post by the third day before the election.

Where you vote and what to bring

You vote at one assigned polling station, not at any station you like. It depends on the address where you are registered on the padrón. Your station and table are printed on your tarjeta censal, which arrives by post a few weeks before the election.

If the card has not arrived, ask your town hall or call the 060 line. You can also look your station up on the official electoral websites, or through your town hall's online office with a digital certificate or Cl@ve.

Bring an original, valid ID. Photocopies are not accepted. As a foreign voter you can use:

• your passport;
• if you are an EU citizen, your residence certificate or card;
• your TIE.

Bring your polling card too, if you have it. It helps the table find you faster.

You could be called to staff a table

Each table has a president and two vocales, plus substitutes. The town hall draws them from voters in the section who can read and write and are under 70. Registered foreign voters can be drawn too. EU citizens are eligible in municipal and European elections.

The duty is mandatory. If you get a notice, open it straight away. You have seven days from notification to give a justified excuse, such as illness, pregnancy, caring duties, or being over 65 for the role of president. Not serving without a valid reason is a criminal offence, with fines or imprisonment as possible penalties. Ask your local electoral board (Junta Electoral de Zona) how the draw and excuses apply to you.

Voting by post

If you live in Spain and cannot attend in person, you may vote by post. This includes illness, disability or being away from your town. Postal options are limited and tied to deadlines:

1. Request it at a Correos office with your ID after the election is called, usually until about ten days before the vote.
2. Correos delivers your ballot documents.
3. Return your vote by post no later than the third day before the election.

You must be on the electoral roll. Non-EU nationals also need an earlier opción de voto application. The exact dates are set with each election call, so check them then.

The checklist, documents and timeline below cover the steps in order.

Timeline and deadlines

• Give a justified excuse if you are drawn for polling-table duty: within seven days of being notified

Documents you need

• Original, valid identity document: your passport, or the residence certificate or card for EU citizens, or the TIE (foreigner identity card). Photocopies are not accepted.

• Polling card (tarjeta censal), sent by post a few weeks before the election and showing your station. Bring it if you received it.

• ID to show at a Correos office if you request a postal vote.

Checklist

• Check your polling card for your station and table.

• Open any notice about polling-table duty and decide within seven days whether you have a justified excuse.

• Request a postal vote at a Correos office if you cannot attend in person.

Frequently asked questions

Can I be chosen to work at a polling table as a foreign voter?

Yes, if you are on the municipal roll, the town hall can draw you as president or vocal (one of the two table members) of a polling table. EU citizens are eligible in municipal and European elections. You must be able to read and write and be under 70.

How long do I have to give an excuse for table duty?

You have seven days from the notification to give a justified excuse. Valid reasons include illness, pregnancy, caring duties, or being over 65 for the role of president. Serving is mandatory, and skipping it without cause is a criminal offence.

Can I vote by post if I live in Spain?

Yes, if you are on the roll and cannot attend in person, for example through illness or being away from your town.

How do I find out which polling station is mine?

Your polling card (tarjeta censal) arrives by post a few weeks before the election and names your station. If it does not arrive, ask your town hall or call 060.