More than 8,000 Spanish municipalities will choose their representatives in the local elections on May 28. In twelve communities they will be held in parallel to the regional elections.
Along with these, the municipal elections mark the start of an intense electoral year, which will probably end with the general elections, scheduled for the end of 2023. The results that occur in May in Spain as a whole, especially in large cities, could have repercussion in the next electoral contest. Below, we go over the key dates before we get to May 28.
On April 4, the electoral period was kicked off with the publication in the Official State Gazette of the decree calling for local elections and the Assemblies of Ceuta and Melilla. Political formations have until April 24 to present their candidacies to the Zone Electoral Boards, and these will be officially proclaimed on May 2.
The municipalities will carry out the public drawing of the members of the polling stations between April 29 and May 3. Those designated will receive the notification three days after the draw is held and, once they have it in their possession, they will have the right to present allegations during the following seven days on causes that prevent them from being members of the tables.
From April 4 to May 18 you can request a vote by mail. Between May 8 and 21, those who have made the request will receive the documentation at their address, and then they will have time until the 24th to cast their vote at a Post Office.
In these elections, the requested vote disappears, in application of the reform of the electoral law that was approved last October and with which it seeks to facilitate participation.
The electoral campaign will begin on Friday, May 12 at 12:00 a.m., so that from that morning the parties will be able to disseminate electoral propaganda through posters, commercial supports or in the media. The 22nd will be the last day that electoral polls can be published. On Friday, May 26 at midnight, the campaign will end and the 27th will be the day of reflection.
Election day will be held on May 28. Voters may vote from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the polling station and the polling station indicated on their census card. Before casting the vote, they must prove their identity by means of the DNI, passport, driving license or residence card. Once the day closes, the counting of votes will begin. As established by the Electoral Regime Law, in those cases where the two elections coincide on the same day, the municipal ballots will be scrutinized first and, secondly, those of the autonomous communities.
After the publication of the results and the proclamation of the elected representatives, it is expected that the new city councils will be constituted and the respective mayors and mayors will be elected on Saturday, June 17. The county councils and county councils (in this case, in Catalonia, Aragon and Castilla y León), whose composition depends on the results of the municipal councils, will be set up in mid-July.
