In Spain, draws to appoint members of the polling station boards (mesas electorales) for the elections to the Congreso de los Diputados and the Senado on 29 November 2026 have begun. The period set by the Junta Electoral Central officially runs from Saturday, 31 October, to Wednesday, 4 November. Some municipalities held approved draws earlier.
At the Ayuntamiento de Madrid the lists were already drawn on 29 October 2026 at a Pleno extraordinario According to the town council, 32,715 residents were selected by computerised random draw for 3,635 mesas electorales. Each mesa has nine people in total: a president, two members and two substitutes for each of these roles. Notices are served; applications for exemption may be made on valid grounds within the statutory time limits. Such applications are decided by the relevant Juntas Electorales de Zona.
In larger cities, the draw is generally conducted electronically. In smaller municipalities, traditional methods are sometimes still used, such as drawing lots from a container. The legal basis and organisational requirements are set out in the instructions of the Junta Electoral Central. The Ministerio del Interior published an updated handbook on 27 October 2026 setting out the arrangements for 29 November, specifying the legal framework and the duties of polling station boards.
Timely appointment of members of the mesas electorales is considered essential to ensuring that voting on 29 November 2026 proceeds properly. Holding draws early in large cities makes it easier to serve notices in good time, but does not alter the statutory obligations of those selected or the narrowly defined grounds for exemption. Service of notices, deadlines and possible exemptions are governed by the binding criteria of the electoral oversight bodies; late submissions or incomplete grounds may be rejected by the Juntas Electorales de Zona.
The dates and figures cited are based on official announcements from the Ayuntamiento de Madrid and the Ministerio del Interior, as well as instructions from the Junta Electoral Central. No assessment is made of the likely number of future appeals or the demands on the electoral administration.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).