29NBrújula Spain votes · 29 November
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Spain 2026 election calendar and how to vote by post or from abroad

Official deadlines from the BOE and the Electoral Board, postal voting, voting from abroad and countdown.

  • 5 October: Announcement and extraordinary Council of Ministers. Sánchez announces the dissolution of the Cortes and sets the elections for 29 November.
  • 6 October: Publication of the Royal Decree in the BOE (Official State Gazette). Dissolution of Congress and the Senate takes effect; 350 deputies in 52 constituencies. Madrid rises to 38 deputies and Cádiz to 8; the rest remain as in 2023 (annex to the decree). The period for requesting a postal vote opens.
  • 8 October: Supreme Court upholds suspension of the vote for those naturalised under the grandchildren law. Order of 12-10 (Fourth Section of the Contentious-Administrative Chamber, with one dissenting opinion): rejects the State Attorney's appeal and keeps the interim measure for 29-N. Exception: those who prove, by consular certification, that their ancestors were exiled. The Government is studying whether an appeal to the Constitutional Court is possible. Operative part published in the BOE of 15-10 (BOE-A-2026-21447 and 21448).
  • 9 October: The CGPJ appoints the judicial members of the Provincial Electoral Boards. Agreement of the CGPJ Standing Committee of 8 October, published in the BOE on the 9th, appointing the judicial members of the provincial electoral boards for the general election.
  • 14 October: Podemos open primaries (14-15 Oct; results on the 16th at 12:00). Under way: voting from 14-10 (08:00) to 15-10 (24:00) with Irene Montero as a contender; the winner would head the Madrid list. Results on 16-10 at 12:00. Sumar/Frente Amplio did not accept them as a method.
  • 16 October: Coalition registration deadline. Closed on 16 Oct at 23:59 (art. 44.3 LOREG). According to the JEC list as reported by 20minutos, nine coalitions were registered: Frente Amplio (nationwide, without Podemos), Senado de Progreso (PSOE, IU, Sumar, Más Madrid, Compromís, Chunta, Batzarre), Democracia21 (with Ciudadanos and UCIN, Madrid and Barcelona), Unidad del Pueblo Canario, Compromís-Front Valencià, Coalición Existe, Coalición Canaria-Municipalistas Primero, Comuns-Front Ampli (Senate) and ERC-EH Bildu (Senate). The official JEC list was not read directly.
  • 16 October: First meeting of the Standing Committee (Diputación Permanente). According to El Mundo, the agenda does not include validation of the housing decrees; the deadline to validate them ends on 14 November.
  • 17 October: Frente Amplio chooses its list leader; ERC primaries. Yolanda Díaz is not standing again. The Frente Amplio (IU, Comuns, Más Madrid, Movimiento Sumar) proposes Ada Colau (12-10), who thanks them without expressly accepting (13-10) and calls for a single left-wing candidacy; Emilio Delgado heads Madrid. ERC: Rufián heads the list and agrees a pact with Podemos (12-10). Pending: agreement with Podemos/ERC before the register closes (16-10).
  • 19 October: End of electoral roll consultation and claims period (12-19 Oct). Art. 39 LOREG. Voting uses the electoral roll closed on 1 August.
  • 26 October: End of the period for submitting candidacies (21-26 Oct). Days 15 to 20 after the calling of the election (art. 45).
  • 28 October: Publication of the candidacies submitted. BOE.
  • 2 November: Official proclamation of candidacies. Publication on 3 November. Drawing of lots for polling station members between 31 October and 4 November.
  • 9 November: Postal vote documentation begins to be sent out. Correos (postal service) begins delivering ballot papers to those who requested them.
  • 11 November: General strike over housing. Date confirmed by UGT (Pepe Álvarez) and proposed by the Confederación de Sindicatos de Inquilinas (Confederation of Tenants' Unions); two days before the start of the campaign.
  • 13 November: Start of the election campaign. 15 days (art. 51). At 0:00.
  • 19 November: Last day to REQUEST a postal vote. Tenth day before polling day (art. 72). At Correos (post office) or online with a digital certificate/Cl@ve.
  • 23 November: Witness statements in the Air Europa case. According to ABC, the judge summons Deputy Prime Minister Sara Aagesen as a witness on 23 November, along with other current and former officials; they are not under investigation.
  • 25 November: Last day to SUBMIT the postal vote (at the post office). Art. 73 LOREG. Some media have published the 19th by mistake: that date is the deadline for requesting, not for posting the vote.
  • 27 November: End of campaign (24:00).
  • 28 November: Day of reflection. Art. 53. Electoral propaganda and the publication of polls are prohibited (from the 24th).
  • 29 November: ELECTION DAY. Polling stations open from 9:00 to 20:00.
  • 2 December: General count (including CERA votes — Spanish voters living abroad). Third day after the vote, at the Provincial Electoral Boards (art. 103).
  • 24 December: Deadline for the new Cortes (Parliament) to be constituted. Within 25 days of the elections (art. 68.6 of the Constitution). The press expects mid-December.
  • 15 January: King's round of consultations and investiture vote (estimate). The Constitution sets no deadline for the first vote; once it is held, if there is no successful investiture vote within two months, the Cortes are dissolved (art. 99.5). Indicative date.