The electoral timer is ticking. Spain is headed for a general election in the middle of summer. In vacation time. Who thinks of voting on July 23? Who thinks of going to a rally? The weather does not accompany, nor the general mood. There is probably more desire for the beach than for politics. The parties are going to have to put a lot of imagination and effort into mobilizing the citizens, first of all, so that they go to the rallies to support the candidates, and of course to the polls, to vote for them. And to complicate the equation, Santiago Apóstol is celebrated on July 25, it is a holiday in several communities and falls on a Tuesday, which means a four-day long weekend that includes election day.
Whether for the long weekend or for the holidays, July 23 will take many away from home. Good on a trip or in a second residence. Voting by mail is likely to increase compared to the 2019 elections. In fact, it has been a method used by almost a million citizens in the municipal and regional elections on May 28, 6.4% more than a year ago four years.
Another reason to vote by mail is the high temperatures in July. There are many hours of heat and intense insolation. Last year, the average temperature in July was the highest of any month -not only July- in Spain since there are records, at least since 1961, according to data from the State Meteorological Agency. The heat wave, which affected 40 provinces, was also the most important in the historical series – there are records dating back to 1975 – due to its exceptional intensity, duration and extension. This situation was due to the presence of a powerful Atlantic anticyclone that favored the movement of a very warm air mass of African origin over the Iberian Peninsula. Temperatures, both maximum and minimum, were recorded well above the normal for the time, reaching 46 °C in Morón de la Frontera (Seville) on July 24.
It is not to call bad weather –or perhaps yes–, but with this background, only in the climatological aspect it will be difficult to summon the citizens. Voting hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. This is stipulated in the organic law of the General Electoral Regime (Loreg). Consulted the Central Electoral Board, it is not expected to extend the voting hours – Loreg is an organic law and cannot be modified just like that – although they do not rule out anything.
The Central Electoral Board has also not planned to modify the instruction on excuses and impediments for the positions of member and president of the polling stations to include causes related to reservations of tickets or accommodation on dates that include July 23. Individual situations can be raised before the Zone Electoral Board, which will decide if it is justified cause to avoid attending the polling station. In any case, if transport tickets have been purchased or accommodation reservations have been made, the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) points out that, if there is cancellation insurance, being called to a polling station is a reason for them to return the money. You have to file a claim.
This July 23 will be a rehearsal. Previously, elections have been held in summer, with the corresponding electoral campaigns, but it was already planned. In 2016, the generals were on June 26. The parties took care that those attending the rallies did not suffer a heat stroke: the PP handed out straw hats and the PSOE directly called events when the sun had gone down. In June the general elections of 1986 (on the 22nd) and 1993 (on the 6th) were also held, in addition to the constituent ones of June 15, 1997.
In Andalusia, the Statute prohibits holding elections in July and August, but it only has powers over the regional ones. And, in fact, in Galicia and the Basque Country they voted in July. The last regional ones, convened on April 5, 2020, were moved to July 12 due to the covid.
