Competences of the Electoral Census Office in the electoral process:

The main competences are:
(For the purposes of each election, the Electoral Census Office disseminates information online regarding all operations in the associated electoral period, with specific dates for each time-frame)

  • a) Sections, Polling stations and Electoral premises

    • In partnership with Municipal Councils, the Provincial Delegations of the Electoral Census Office determine the limits of the census sections, their premises and the polling stations to be used in the electoral process.

      Voters may submit claims against the make complaints relating to the demarcation carried out, before the corresponding Provincial Electoral Board.

      Regulations:

      The Organic Law from General Electoral Regime (LOREG), Article 24

  • b) Census in force and census correction during an electoral period

    • For each election the Electoral Census in force is used, this being the one closed on the first day of the month prior to the calling of elections, with records of those of legal age on polling day.

      Municipal Councils and Consulates maintain a service for querying the Electoral Census in force, its municipalities and demarcations, and anyone may make a claim regarding his or her census details. These claims may also be made directly to Provincial Delegations of the Electoral Census Office.

      Regulations:

      The Organic Law from General Electoral Regime (LOREG), Articles 39.1 to 39.6 and 40

  • c) Sending of census cards

    • Once elections have been called, the Electoral Census Office sends each voter a census card with updated details of their registration in the Electoral Census in force, in which there is also information on the section, the polling station, the electoral premises where he or she should vote and the address.

      Regulations:

      The Organic Law from General Electoral Regime (LOREG), Article 39.7

  • d) Postal vote

    • The postal vote modalities sare as follows:

      d.1) Postal vote for voters resident in Spain, applied for from Spain

      Voters resident in Spain may apply to vote by post by completing an application form availablefrom any Spanish Post Office, and sending it to the Provincial Delegation of the Electoral Census Office of the province where he or she is registered. voters must sogn the application form and check whether the postal worker stamps and dates it as appropriate.

      Voters who request a postal vote are not able to vote in person at the polling station.

      The Provincial Delegation of the corresponding Electoral Census Office sends the voters, to their abode abroad as indicated in the request the documentation necessary for them to vote. Once the documents are received, voters should send their vote to the polling station, also by registered post.

      Regulations:

      LeThe Organic Law from General Electoral Regime (LOREG), Articles 72, 73 and 74

      Royal Decree 605/1999 16 April, on complementary regulations for electoral processes

      Order 116/1999 of 30 April by which the right to vote in electoral processes by personnel in the Armed Forces at sea or in exceptional situations linked to national defence is regulated

      d.2) Postal vote for voters resident in Spain who are temporarily abroad

      Voters residents in Spain who are temporarily abroad, once the convocation has been made, and who anticipate remaining in that situation until polling day, and whish to take part in the elections must apply for a postal vote. They must therefore be registered in the Consular Registration register as non-residents and request the documentation necessary to exercise their right to vote from abroad from the corresponding Provincial Delegation of the Electoral Census Office. The said request must be submitted in person at the Consular Office or Consular Section of the Embassy.

      The Provincial Delegation of the corresponding Electoral Census Office sends the voters, to their abode abroad as indicated in the request the documentation necessary for them to vote. Once the documents are received, voters should send their vote to the polling station, also by registered post.

      Regulations:

      Royal Decree 1621/2007 of 7 December, regulating a voting procedure for Spanish citizens who are temporarily abroad

      d.3) Postal vote for voters resident abroad in non-municipal elections

      Spanish voters registered in the census-absent resident voters living abroad shall be formulated by the official printed voting request to the corresponding Provincial Delegation of the Electoral Census Office.

      Be attached to the printed a copy of your passport or National Identity Card issued by the Spanish authorities or, failing that, certification of nationality or registration in the matricula consular issued by the Consulate of Spain in the country of residence.

      In order to facilitate this paperwork, the Electoral Census Office sends all voters, prior to the calling of elections, a letter containiong an application form for postal voting.

      The Electoral Census Office sends all voters a letter containiong an application form for postal voting.

      According to the Organic Law 2 / 2011 of 28 January by amending the Organic Law 5 / 1985 of 19 June on the General Electoral Regime, Article 190 goes above and, therefore, the Spanish registered in the census-absent resident voters living abroad can not vote in municipal elections held in Spain.

      Regulations:

      The Organic Law from General Electoral Regime (LOREG), Article 75

  • e) Handing over of copies of the Electoral Census

    • To Autonomous Communities. Autonomous Communities may obtain a copy of the Electoral Census queried and also the one corresponding to the voting lists.

      To declared candidacies. The representatives of each candidacy may obtain, on the day following declaration of candidacies, a copy of the census for the corresponding district.

      Zone electoral boards. Zone electoral boards will be furnished with a copy of the electoral census corresponding to their scope.

      Regulations:

      The Organic Law from General Electoral Regime (LOREG), Articles 41.4 and 41.5

  • f) Voting lists and specific census certificates

    • Como consecuencia de la disposición final tercera.uno de la Ley Orgánica 3/2018, la Oficina del Censo Electoral atiende las solicitudes de los electores que se opongan a su inclusión en las copias del censo electoral que se faciliten a los representantes de las candidaturas para realizar envíos postales de propaganda electoral.

      Once the complaints period has ended, the voting lists are determined and are sent to the polling stations.

      Following the complaints period and up until voting day, the Provincial Delegations of the Electoral Census Office may issue specific census certificates at the request of interested parties.

      Likewise, those people who prove their right to vote by being registered in the Section census and showing the corresponding judicial decision may also vote.

      Regulations:

      Ley Orgánica del Régimen Electoral General (LOREG), Artículos 39.3, 41.4 y 41.5