The local elections are looming are British residents in the Balearics are entitled to vote providing they are registered.
The British Embassy in Madrid has issued a statement explaining what residents have to do to be entitled to vote: “Next year there will be Spanish municipal elections on 28 May 2023.
Thanks to the agreement that was signed between the UK and Spain in 2019, all UK nationals who have been resident here for three years are entitled to vote. But you must make sure you have done the following first:
- be registered on the padrón municipal where you live and
- confirm your registration on the electoral roll (censo electoral) within the dates set by the electoral authorities before each election.
If you are not already on the padrón or are not sure if it is up to date, you should register or check your status as soon as possible.
Later this month, the Oficina del Censo Electoral (OCE) will write to all those that, according to the relevant databases, have the right to vote.
Once you receive this, check the information is correct, sign the declaration and return it to the stated address or finalise the process online, according to the instructions.
If you don’t receive the letter, get in touch with your town hall to check what you need to do to get on the electoral roll. In order to be able to vote next year, you must register on the electoral roll between 1 December 2022 and 15 January 2023.
For further information visit gov.uk/guidance/living-in-spain#voting