How to vote on 29 November
The dates and steps that matter, taken from the Central Electoral Board's official calendar. If a deadline changes, we update it here.
Key dates
| Date (2026) | What happens |
|---|---|
| 6 Oct | Election called in the Official Gazette (BOE). Postal vote applications open |
| 24–30 Oct | Voting documents mailed to Spaniards living abroad (CERA) |
| 31 Oct | Last day to apply to vote if you are temporarily abroad (ERTA) |
| 31 Oct – 4 Nov | Draw of polling-station officials |
| 2 Nov | Last day to request braille voting materials |
| 3 Nov | The BOE publishes the official candidate lists |
| 9–22 Nov | Postal voting documents mailed to applicants |
| 13–27 Nov | Official campaign |
| 19 Nov | Last day to apply for a postal vote (residents in Spain) |
| 21–26 Nov | Spaniards abroad: in-person voting at consulates |
| 24 Nov | Spaniards abroad: last day to mail the vote to the consulate |
| 24–28 Nov | Publishing polls is banned |
| 25 Nov | Last day to send a postal vote from Spain |
| 28 Nov | Day of reflection (no campaigning) |
| 29 Nov | Election day, 9 am to 8 pm (local time) |
| 4–7 Dec | Official count (includes votes from abroad) |
Frequently asked questions
When is the general election?
Sunday 29 November 2026. Polling stations are open from 9 am to 8 pm local time: in the Canary Islands they close at 8 pm local time, 9 pm in mainland Spain. Voters elect the 350 members of Congress and the senators.
Who can vote?
Spanish citizens aged 18 or over on election day (born on or before 29 November 2008) who are on the electoral roll. This election uses the roll closed on 1 August 2026; the period for corrections ended on 19 October.
Where do I vote?
It depends on your address on the electoral roll. You can look up your polling station online at the INE (Spain's statistics office, which runs the roll) with Cl@ve or an electronic ID, or ask your town hall. The polling card sent by mail is not required to vote.
What ID do I need?
The original of your national ID card, passport or driving licence, with your photo. Photocopies are not accepted.
How do I vote by post from Spain?
Apply by 19 November at any post office (with your ID) or at correos.es with a digital certificate or electronic ID. The Electoral Census Office will mail your documents between 9 and 22 November to the address you give. Then send your vote by registered mail no later than 25 November. Once you apply for a postal vote you can no longer vote at your polling station.
How do Spaniards living abroad vote?
There is no longer any need to apply: documents are mailed automatically between 24 and 30 October, and ballots between 4 and 8 November (they can also be downloaded from 2 to 7 November). You can vote by mail to the consulate until 24 November, or in person at the consulate from 21 to 26 November. The Supreme Court has suspended, as an interim measure, the vote of people naturalized under the 'grandchildren's law', except descendants of exiles who can prove it.
What if I'm abroad for just a few months?
If you live in Spain but will be abroad on 29 November (studies, temporary work…), you must apply to vote as 'temporarily absent' (ERTA) through the consulate by 31 October. If you are back in time or only on a short trip, you can use the ordinary postal vote until 19 November.
Could I be picked to staff a polling station?
Town halls draw polling-station officials between 31 October and 4 November and notify them within three days. From that notice you have seven days to appeal to the local electoral board if you have a valid reason.
When will results be known?
The Interior Ministry publishes the provisional count on the night of the 29th, as polling stations report. Votes from abroad are counted in the official count from 4 to 7 December and can shift a seat: in 2023 they gave the PP the last seat in Madrid.
How are the 350 seats allocated?
Each province is a constituency with a fixed number of seats (Ceuta and Melilla, one each). Lists with at least 3% of the valid vote in the province take part, and seats are allocated with the D'Hondt method. An absolute majority is 176 seats.
And if you want to know how it might turn out
Our forecast simulates the allocation of the 350 seats 50,000 times a day, province by province; in the simulator you can try your own vote shares, and each constituency page shows who is fighting for the last seat. During the ban on publishing polls (24–28 November) the forecast is not updated.
Sources: Central Electoral Board, 2026 general election calendar; La Moncloa, postal vote; La Moncloa, voting from abroad; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Organic Law on the General Electoral Regime (LOREG). Reviewed on 21 October 2026. This guide is for information: if in doubt, the Electoral Board and the Electoral Census Office have the final word.