Spain will hold an early general election on Sunday, November 29, 2026, after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Monday that he is bringing forward the vote and moving to dissolve the Cortes Generales.

Sánchez made the announcement in an institutional address from the Moncloa Palace on October 5, saying he had decided to convene an extraordinary Council of Ministers to formally dissolve Parliament and call the elections.

The announcement brings the current parliamentary term to an early end and puts Spain on a new electoral timetable.

Election Date Set for November 29

Spanish voters will be called to the polls on Sunday, November 29.

The date follows the timetable established for an early dissolution of Parliament. The formal electoral process will begin with publication of the Royal Decree dissolving the Cortes Generales and calling the election in the Official State Gazette, the BOE.

La Moncloa has said that publication is scheduled for Tuesday, October 6.

Until that formal publication, November 29 remains the date announced by the Prime Minister, with the legal electoral timetable then becoming fully active.

Announcement Follows Parliamentary Defeats

The decision comes after the Government suffered two significant defeats in Congress over housing measures.

Two royal decree-laws promoted by the Executive were rejected by the Chamber last Friday, adding to the difficulties faced by the minority government in securing parliamentary support for key legislation.

The defeats came after the Government had sought to advance measures addressing housing-related issues, including rental conditions and protections for vulnerable households.

The parliamentary setbacks were followed by a weekend during which Sánchez considered whether to continue governing with the existing parliamentary balance or call an early election.

In his Monday address, however, Sánchez presented the election as an opportunity for voters to decide the country's political direction and argued that his government needed a broader parliamentary mandate to pursue its programme.

What Happens Next?

Once the Royal Decree is published in the BOE, the formal electoral timetable will begin.

Under Spain's electoral law, an early election following dissolution takes place 54 days after the formal call.

With the decree expected to be published on October 6, the timetable leads to the November 29 election date.

The main stages include the formation and registration of electoral coalitions, the presentation and proclamation of candidate lists and the subsequent campaign period.

The official campaign is expected to begin at midnight on Friday, November 13, and run for 15 days. Saturday, November 28 will be the day of reflection before voters go to the polls on Sunday, November 29.

Voting by Post

The election will also open the process for postal voting.

The current electoral timetable indicates that applications to vote by post will be available from the formal calling of the election, with November 19 expected to be the final day to request a postal vote and November 25 the deadline for casting it by post.

Spain Heads Into a New Electoral Period

The November election will determine the composition of a new Congress of Deputies and Senate.

Following the vote, the newly elected Cortes will have to be constituted within the constitutional deadline, after which the process of forming a new government will begin.

For now, the immediate focus is on the formal publication of the election decree and the start of the electoral calendar on October 6.

Spain is therefore entering a new political phase, with voters due to decide the composition of the next Parliament on November 29, 2026.