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VOTE IN SPAIN
Local Elections in Spain
When you are living in Spain you will also have the right to vote in Spanish
local elections. As a citizen of the European Union residing in Spain once you
have a residence permit and are registered with your local town hall, called
"ayuntamiento". This process is free of charge and it does not mean that you
will undergo other taxes from this. It just means that when the local area is
being a budget then they can give your area the correct amount of money because
they know how many people live in the area.
 Once
you have registered with the town hall you will receive the "padrón " also
known as "certificado de empadronamiento". This should always be one of the
first documents you register for when you are moving to a new municipality.
However, many people neglect to file for this important paper. When you
register for the padrón be sure you also ask for the census document on which
you will need to check the appropriate box, indicating that you wish to vote.
If you have done your paperwork properly and far enough in advance, you will
be included on the official voting lists in your local area. These are posted
in your local town hall about two months before elections. Usually they will
also send you voting information at home.
To make sure that your name is included in the list of eligible voters, you
must contact your town hall approximately three months in advance. They will be
able to tell you when the lists will be posted - possibly in the "departamento
de estadística", or statistics department. If your name does not appear on the
list, you will have normally a certain period of time, usually about 1 week, in
which you can fill out a reclamation sheet called "reclamación en período
electoral".
On Election Day the voting takes place at "colegios electorales" or polling
locations. Each voter must go to his or her corresponding location. If you do
not know where you have to go you can contact your local town hall for more
information. You will have to bring your identification and voting papers with
you to your polling location because you will not be allowed to vote if you
forgot anything of them.
As a Norwegian living in Spain that want to vote in Spanish local elections
you must certify that you have been residing in Spain for at least three years.
As the Spanish residency card do not state the date when the residency began,
the only way to certify how long you have been here, is to show that you have
been registered in your town's "padrón" for at least 3 years.
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