To be or not to be at a polling station. This is one of the issues that citizens are most concerned about in the face of the general elections on Sunday, July 23, especially as it is a fully holiday date, in the middle of a bridge in three autonomous communities, and with probably very high temperatures. in much of the country.
Although the Central Electoral Board (JEC) has determined that having contracted a trip or vacation stay on a date prior to the electoral call (May 29) and whose cancellation causes economic damage or involves a serious disorder can excuse from being at a table electoral, this does not solve all the extraordinary cases that can occur. The instruction, for example, does not resolve the situation of those who plan to spend those days in a second residence hundreds of kilometers from their homes.
For this reason, before these general elections and for the sake of their own and family organization, many citizens may have more urgency than ever to know if they will be at a polling station. But for this they will have to wait practically until the last day of June. A situation that will affect 360,040 people, according to data from the National Statistics Institute.
The composition of the polling stations is drawn by the municipalities between the twenty-fifth and twenty-ninth days after the electoral call, in this case between June 24 and 28, and must be notified within three days to the interested parties. , which implies that those affected must be informed before July 1. Each table is made up of a president and two members, but two substitutes are also drawn by lot for each position.
The formation of the tables will correspond to the municipalities and will be carried out under the supervision of the Electoral Boards of the Zone. It will be conducted by public lottery and any random selection method will be used among all the people included in the census who can read and write and are under 70 years of age.
On July 23, all those elected must appear and those who finally constitute the table must receive the ballot papers, evaluate the development of the vote and carry out the counting work later on.
Voters designated to a polling station have seven days to claim a justified and documented reason for absenteeism before the Zone Electoral Board. The Electoral Administration has five days to resolve any allegation and communicate the result to those selected in the draw. However, those affected can present allegations until the last minute.
Impediments and justified excuses are indicated in Instruction 6/2011, of April 28, of the Central Electoral Board, on the interpretation of article 27.3 of the Loreg. Among these causes are being over 65 and under 70; a situation of disability; the situation of temporary incapacity for work; or gestation from six months of pregnancy and the corresponding period of maternity rest.
It also releases from this responsibility having previously been part of a polling station (at least three times in the last ten years) or caring for children under eight years of age or people with a disability. The same happens with the fathers or mothers of minors under 14 years of age if it can be proven that no one can take care of them during election day. It is even useful to have family events such as weddings, baptisms or communions that cannot be postponed.
In either case, without a proven reason for being absent, those who do not show up may face criminal consequences.
