One of the issues that worries citizens, precisely in these general elections, is voting by mail since in the holiday season, many of those who want to vote may be far from their homes on the next 23 J. Given the possibility that Trigger this voting modality, the Central Electoral Board (JEC) has agreed to extend by one day the deadline to deposit the vote by mail in the general elections on July 23. That period was going to end on July 19 and, at the request of the State Postal and Telegraph Society, it has been extended until the 20th at the usual opening hours of the offices.
Correos, which is in charge of managing this vote by correspondence and taking the envelopes to the polling stations so that they can be put in the polls on voting day, sent a report to the JEC confirming its willingness to assume this extension.
In Correos it is taken for granted that in these general elections postal suffrage can reach unusually high figures. The JEC has asked Correos to "exceed diligence to ensure that the envelopes with the vote can be delivered on the day of the vote at the respective polling stations, within the legally established deadlines."
In the last municipal elections, serious suspicions of fraud in voting by mail were generated in Melilla and in other municipalities. In fact, the National Police is carrying out this Friday a series of searches in official offices of the autonomous city for this matter. To avoid similar situations, the Electoral Board agreed this Thursday to require identification with the DNI when casting that vote by mail, and not only when requested. Now you will have to identify yourself to request the documentation of voting by mail and to deliver the envelope with the ballot at the Post Office.
The JEC has also extended, at the request of the PP, the period for voters who are temporarily abroad to request the vote (ERTA). Said period ended in principle on June 24 and now it has been agreed to extend it until June 29, as recommended by the Electoral Census Office. The decision will be communicated to the Provincial Electoral Boards, for their knowledge and referral to the Zone Electoral Boards.
A common concern for voters, especially in these elections, is the lottery for the designation of polling stations. The raffle was to be carried out by the Town Halls from June 24 to 28. Today the JEC has informed that this is also one of the deadlines that has undergone modifications. The vote draw has been authorized to be held between June 22 and 28.
Normally, the composition of the polling stations is raffled by the municipalities between the twenty-fifth and twenty-ninth days after the electoral call. These dates have been changed and now it will start from June 22.
Those citizens who have been selected by lottery are required to appear at their polling station on election day, unless they have an accredited justification. 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.
The Board agreed yesterday that a valid excuse, for not being part of a polling station, can be a vacation stay or that being part of the polling station implies the cancellation of a trip. As long as these trips have been contracted before the call for the 23-J elections, and their cancellation represents damage to the voter's economy. It must be possible to document "due advance notice of the contract, as well as the economic damage or serious disruption alleged". Those appointed to a polling station who do not appear on election day and do not have a justification validated by the electoral authorities may face criminal consequences.
