The Central Electoral Board has made two decisions for the development of the general elections on July 23. Among them, a possible excuse for not going to the polling station and changes in the identification of the vote by mail.
The Central Electoral Board has established new conditions for not being part of the table. If the day of the elections coincides with a trip or a vacation stay that has been contracted before the date of calling the elections, you can be exempt without risk of being fined
For these general elections on July 23, two important decisions have been made. The first of these is Instruction 5/2023, which establishes that Voters who vote by mail must identify themselves with their ID or an equivalent document at the time of casting the vote.
Until now, the Electoral Law only required identification when requesting the vote, not when delivering it. Besides, If the voter cannot go in person, they must grant an authorization for another person to deliver their vote, accompanied by a photocopy of their ID.
The second decision is directed at those who can be elected as members of the polling station. However, it will be necessary to properly document the situation and demonstrate that the cancellation of the trip would cause a serious disruption. The interpretation of what is considered a “serious disorder” will be left to the zone electoral boards.
Exempt if you book a trip before May 29
If on the date of the general elections of July 23 you have scheduled a trip or vacation contracted before May 29, date of calling the elections, you can be absent from the polling station without running the risk of receiving a fine. It will be necessary to present the corresponding documentation to support this situation.
The area electoral boards will have the last wordas long as the full occupancy of the tables is ensured and the advance of the contract and the economic damage or serious disorder alleged are adequately documented.
These unprecedented decisions of the Central Electoral Board seek guarantee a more transparent electoral process adjusted to the needs of voters. Voting by mail will be safer with identification at the time of delivery, avoiding possible irregularities and those with contracted trips will not be harmed.