With Spain's general elections scheduled for Sunday, 29 November 2026, the selection of polling station members is now under way across Ibiza and Formentera. Residents chosen as presidents, voting officers or substitutes must normally fulfil their duties, although electoral legislation provides a procedure for requesting an exemption when a justified personal, family, medical or professional circumstance prevents them from attending.
The municipal and island council draws took place between 31 October and 4 November. Those selected are notified officially at their registered home address, while some local authorities also make the results available through their municipal websites or electronic services.
According to La Voz de Ibiza, the municipalities of Eivissa and Sant Antoni have already made their draws public. The notification period can extend for up to three days after each draw, meaning that appointments from the final draws may still be communicated through 7 November.
For anyone who receives an appointment, the most important deadline is seven days from the date of notification to submit a documented request for exemption to the relevant Electoral Zone Board.
How Many Polling Stations Will There Be in Ibiza and Formentera?
A total of 173 polling stations are planned across the Pitiusas for the 29 November general elections.
According to the electoral distribution reported by La Voz de Ibiza, Ibiza will have 163 polling stations distributed across 39 voting locations, while Formentera will have 10 stations across three polling locations.
The municipality of Eivissa has the largest number on the island, with 52 polling stations. Santa Eulària has 42, Sant Antoni and Sant Josep each have 31, and Sant Joan has seven.
Each polling station is made up of one president and two voting officers, known as vocales, with two substitutes designated for each of the three positions.
The municipal draws therefore select nine people for each polling station, including the three titular members and six substitutes.
How to Find Out If You Have Been Selected
The usual way to find out whether you have been appointed is through the official notification sent to your registered home address.
The communication identifies the position assigned to you, whether as president, voting officer or substitute, and provides information about your responsibilities on election day. It should also include the relevant instructions for carrying out the role.
However, residents may not need to wait for the letter in every municipality. Some local authorities make information about the draw available through their websites or electronic municipal services.
In the Pitiusas, La Voz de Ibiza reports that the municipalities of Eivissa and Sant Antoni have already made their draws public. Residents should check their own municipality's official information channels to establish whether an online consultation service is available.
It is important to understand that there is no single national online search tool that automatically displays every appointment made by all Spanish municipalities.
Can You Check Through Mi Carpeta Ciudadana?
Another option is Mi Carpeta Ciudadana, the Spanish Government's digital service for accessing certain administrative information and electronic notifications.
Users can access the platform using Cl@ve or a recognised digital certificate and check whether an electronic communication has been made available to them.
However, this is not a universal polling station appointment search. The availability of a notification depends on the administration and the way the communication has been issued.
The official notification remains the normal means of informing selected residents of their appointment.
It is also important not to confuse this procedure with checking the electoral register. The National Statistics Institute's electoral census service can show residents the polling station and voting location where they are registered to cast their ballot. It does not provide a general search of the people selected to serve on polling stations.
Who Can Be Selected for an Electoral Table?
The composition and appointment of polling station members are regulated by Spain's Organic Law on the General Electoral System, known as the LOREG.
Appointments are made through a public random draw organised by the relevant town council, under the supervision of the Electoral Zone Board.
People included in the electoral register for the relevant polling station can be selected if they are able to read and write and are under 70 years of age.
There are additional requirements for the position of president. The person selected must hold a Bachillerato qualification, second-level vocational training or, alternatively, the equivalent of the former Graduado Escolar qualification.
Two substitutes are also appointed for each position, ensuring that the polling station can be constituted if one of the titular members cannot attend.
Anyone who has reached the age of 65 but is still under 70 can renounce the appointment within seven days of receiving notification, in accordance with the electoral legislation.
Candidates standing in the election cannot serve as members of an electoral table.
Is It Compulsory to Attend?
Yes. Serving as president or voting officer is a compulsory civic duty under Spanish electoral law. The obligation also applies to people selected as substitutes, who must follow the instructions in their appointment and attend when required.
Being selected as a substitute does not automatically mean that you will have to remain at the polling station throughout election day. Substitutes are required to attend at the designated time and may leave once the polling station has been properly constituted and it has been confirmed that their services are not needed.
However, receiving an appointment does not mean that you can simply decide not to attend because of personal inconvenience or other unapproved commitments.
If a genuine circumstance prevents you from fulfilling the role, you must use the formal exemption procedure and obtain the relevant decision from the Electoral Zone Board.
What Reasons Can Justify an Exemption?
The Junta Electoral Central has established criteria covering personal, medical, family and professional circumstances that may justify exemption from serving on an electoral table.
Some circumstances are recognised as sufficient once the required documentation is provided. Others are assessed individually by the Electoral Zone Board.
Examples include:
Personal and medical circumstances
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Being aged between 65 and 69, which allows the person to renounce the appointment within the legal deadline.
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A formally recognised disability.
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Permanent absolute incapacity or recognition of a condition of major dependency under the relevant social security provisions.
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Temporary incapacity for work supported by medical documentation.
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Pregnancy from six months onwards and certain recognised periods of parental leave.
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Hospitalisation or admission to a psychiatric institution.
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Certain medical conditions or planned operations and examinations that make attendance impossible or particularly difficult.
Family responsibilities
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Direct and continuous care of children under 12 or people with disabilities.
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Direct care of a family member up to the second degree of relationship who cannot manage independently because of age, illness or an accident.
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Certain unavoidable family events of particular importance, where the applicant can demonstrate the circumstances and any significant consequences of postponement.
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Specific childcare circumstances involving children under 14, including situations where the other parent cannot provide care during election day.
Professional circumstances
Certain professional duties may also justify exemption, particularly where the individual must provide essential services connected with the electoral process or where their absence would create serious difficulties for the organisation of an essential service.
This list is not exhaustive. The Junta Electoral Central's instruction allows Electoral Zone Boards to consider other comparable circumstances, depending on the evidence and individual situation.
Having a personal, family or work commitment does not automatically guarantee an exemption. The relevant circumstances must be documented, and the final decision belongs to the Electoral Zone Board.
How Many Days Do You Have to Request an Exemption?
Anyone appointed as a president or voting officer has seven days from receiving the official notification to submit a justified and documented request for exemption.
The application must be addressed to the Electoral Zone Board responsible for the relevant polling station.
The request should clearly explain the reason why the person cannot fulfil the appointment and include supporting documentation, such as medical certificates, official records or other relevant evidence.
The Electoral Zone Board has five days to decide on the request. If the exemption is accepted, the necessary replacement arrangements are made. If it is rejected, the appointment remains compulsory.
For the 2026 general elections, applications can also be submitted through the official online platform:
www.mesaselectorales.es
Residents should check the instructions included in their notification and ensure that their application is submitted through the correct channel.
The seven-day period is calculated from receipt of the appointment, not from the date on which the municipal draw took place.
What If an Emergency Happens After the Seven-Day Period?
The law also provides for circumstances that arise after the ordinary exemption period has passed.
If a person who has been appointed subsequently becomes unable to attend, they must inform the relevant Electoral Zone Board and provide supporting evidence.
Where the problem is known in advance, the notification must be made at least 72 hours before the duty they are required to perform.
If the impediment arises after that deadline, the person must notify the board immediately and, in all cases, before the polling station is due to be constituted.
For the 29 November elections, polling station members are required to attend at 08:00. Therefore, an unexpected emergency arising during the final days before the election must be communicated without delay.
The Electoral Zone Board will arrange for a substitute to take the place of the unavailable member where possible.
What Happens If You Do Not Attend Without a Valid Reason?
Failing to attend a polling station without a legitimate justification can constitute an electoral offence under Article 143 of the LOREG.
The legislation provides for a prison sentence of between three months and one year, or a fine of between six and 24 months, for presidents, voting officers and their respective substitutes who fail to attend or perform their duties, abandon their responsibilities without legitimate cause, or fail to comply with the legal requirements for requesting an exemption or reporting an impediment.
This is why anyone who believes they have a valid reason for not attending should submit the relevant documentation and follow the official procedure rather than simply ignoring the appointment.
Submitting an exemption request does not automatically release someone from their responsibilities. If the Electoral Zone Board rejects the request, the person remains obliged to attend.
How Much Are Polling Station Members Paid?
People appointed as titular presidents and voting officers receive a payment of €75 for their participation in the election.
The amount is established by Ministerial Order INT/650/2026, published in Spain's Official State Gazette on 27 June 2026.
Substitutes receive the payment only if they actually take on the role of a titular member. The allowance is paid in full regardless of how much of the electoral day the person spends performing the role.
Employees and public-sector workers appointed as titular members are also entitled to a full day's paid leave on election day if it falls on a working day, together with a reduction of five hours in their working day immediately afterwards.
What Happens on Election Day?
The general elections take place on Sunday, 29 November 2026.
Appointed members must attend their designated polling station at 08:00 to participate in its constitution. Voting is scheduled to begin at 09:00 and continue until 20:00, after which the members are responsible for the counting and other closing procedures.
The president supervises the proceedings, while the voting officers assist with the administration of the ballot and the counting of votes.
The role is essential to ensuring that voting takes place correctly, transparently and in accordance with Spanish electoral law.
For residents of Ibiza and Formentera who receive an appointment, the most important advice is to read the notification carefully, check the deadline for submitting any exemption request and communicate any unexpected impediment to the Electoral Zone Board immediately.