Spain's general election on 29 November: key deadlines for postal voting and polling-station duty

Early election and campaign

Spain's general election is set for Sunday, 29 November 2026. The early call was announced on 5 October, cutting short a legislature that was due to run until 2027. Coverage links the race to housing and to the question of parliamentary deals, after Congress rejected housing decrees before the vote was called. The run-up also included protests against evictions and what El Confidencial calls the Ceuta crisis. The campaign opens on 13 November and closes at the end of Friday, 27 November, and Saturday, 28 November is a day of reflection.

Candidates

Alberto Núñez Feijóo heads the Partido Popular again after winning the 2023 election without the backing needed to be invested. His goal is to increase the 137 seats the party won then and to assemble a majority. On Vox, he has said he will not set up a cordon sanitaire, though he does not expect an umbilical relationship with the party. Before leading the party nationally, he presided over the Xunta de Galicia from 2009 to 2022, after four absolute majorities.

Pedro Sánchez, the PSOE candidate, has been prime minister since June 2018, when a motion of no confidence against Mariano Rajoy succeeded. His campaign offers continuity for a progressive government, set against a possible majority of the PP with Vox.

Polling-station duty

Town councils select polling-station members by public lottery, carried out under the supervision of the Juntas Electorales de Zona. Each station has a president, two vocales and substitutes. The rules set an age range of 18 to under 70, and the president must hold a Bachiller or equivalent qualification. Lotteries must finish by Wednesday, 4 November, and notifications are due by Saturday, 7 November. Those chosen must attend their polling station at 08:00 on 29 November unless a legal exemption applies. Under the Electoral Law, skipping the duty without cause carries three months to one year in prison or a fine of six to 24 months. Members receive a per diem of 75 euros.

According to El Mundo, people aged over 65 and under 70 can be excused if they file their renunciation within a week of notification. Other grounds include disability, pregnancy beyond six months or a high-risk pregnancy, cloistered nuns, and caring for a sick direct relative with supporting documents.

The Córdoba council has already run its lottery in an extraordinary plenary session, selecting 3,501 people for 389 polling stations. Each station has nine designated people, a president and two titular vocales plus six substitutes in two shifts of three. Results can be checked from 13:00 on Tuesday, 3 November, on the council's electronic office using a DNI number and birth date.

Postal vote deadlines

Voters who cannot reach their polling station can apply for a postal vote until Thursday, 19 November. Applications can be made in person at Correos offices with an original DNI, passport or driving licence, and an appointment can be booked to avoid waiting. Online applications require an electronic DNI or a valid digital certificate. The Electoral Census Office sends the documents from 9 to 22 November. Voters then mark their ballot, prepare the envelopes and hand them in at a Correos office by Wednesday, 25 November. Once a request is accepted, the voter can no longer vote in person on 29 November, even if they turn up at the polling station.

Checking your selection

Citizens can check whether they were picked before the official letter arrives through Mi Carpeta Ciudadana, signing in with Cl@ve, an electronic DNI or a digital certificate. The designation appears only if the competent administration has added it, so it cannot be assumed. Some councils, such as Madrid, run their own consultation services on their websites. An online check does not replace the formal notification, which sets out the assigned station, its location and the instructions for the day.