The Instituto Nacional de Estadística has reminded EU citizens living in Spain of the deadline for those wishing to vote in the local elections on 23 May 2027 : they must submit the required declaration of their intention to vote in Spain by 30 December 2026 . The announcement was made on 30 September 2026.
According to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, the Oficina del Censo Electoral will send 515,363 letters to potential voters over the coming weeks. A total of 345,312 people from other EU member states are already on the special register for local elections; they do not need to submit a new declaration, provided they remain registered as residents in Spain and have not requested removal from the register. According to the figures, most of those receiving letters live in the provinces of Madrid, Barcelona, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Alicante and Málaga.
The declaration of intention to vote can be submitted at any time to the town hall where the person lives. The authorities also say that, since 2020, the process has been available online through the statistics institute’s Sede Electrónica . People who receive a letter from the Oficina del Censo Electoral are given a personal CTT code, which they can use to complete the declaration electronically. Anyone who lives in Spain but is not yet registered in the Padrón municipal must first register on the municipal register and can then submit the declaration at the town hall. Town halls and the provincial delegations of the Oficina del Censo Electoral can provide further information.
Legal background: EU citizens are entitled to vote in local elections in Spain if they live in Spain, are registered on the Padrón municipal and have declared their intention to take part. The Oficina del Censo Electoral’s current mailing campaign is intended to update the data and provide information about the process and deadlines. Any claims about possible effects on turnout or election results would be speculative at this stage; reliable conclusions will require the final registration figures and levels of mobilisation in the municipalities.
The deadlines, numbers of people and procedural information given here are based on the Instituto Nacional de Estadística announcement of 30 September 2026. They are subject to change in subsequent official notices.
Editor: Daniel Mayer (Article created with AI assistance).