Every five years, citizens of all the countries of the European Union elect their representatives in the European Parliament. In 2024, 720 deputies will be elected, 15 more than in the 2019 elections, who will represent nearly 450 million people.
MEPs deal with political, economic and social issues, debate, develop and approve rules on crucial issues for all member countries of the European Union. In addition, they defend the values of the Union, approve its budget and supervise the use of funds.
When are the European elections in Spain?
The Government has called the elections in our country for Sunday, June 9, 2024. The call came into force on April 16, after its publication in the Official State Gazette.
In Spain, they will be chosen 61 MEPs for the European Parliament in 2024, two more than in the 2019 elections, and the candidates run on closed lists, meaning that voters cannot alter the order of preference of the candidates on the list.
Who can submit their candidatures?
Parties, coalitions, federations and groups of voters can present candidates if they have the support of 15,000 signatures. No voter can sign more than one candidacy.
Exempt from this requirement are parties, coalitions and federations that obtain the signatures of 50 elected officials, whether they are deputies, senators, Spanish deputies of the European Parliament, members of the legislative assemblies of the autonomous communities or members of local corporations. No elected official can sign more than one candidacy.
It should be noted that the candidacies were presented to the Central Electoral Board between May 1 and 6, although the communication of coalition creation took place between April 17 and 26. For its part, the Official State Gazette (BOE) published the proclaimed candidacies on May 14.
Who can you vote for in the European elections? Spanish Candidacies
On May 8, the Official State Gazette (BOE) issued a resolution from the Central Electoral Board (JEC) in which the candidacies for the European elections scheduled for June 9 are made official. Below are the parties and coalitions running in the 2024 European elections, along with their leaders:
- PSOE: Teresa Ribera, third vice president of the Spanish Government, leads the socialist list.
- PP: Dolors Montserrat, current MEP, heads the Popular Party list.
- Can: Irene Montero, former Minister of Equality, leads the list, followed by Isa Serra and Pablo Fernández.
- Add: Yolanda Díaz, second vice president, leads the coalition, with Estrella Galán and Jaume Asens in the top positions.
- Vox: Jorge Buxadé leads the candidacy, accompanied by Hermann Tersch and Juan Carlos Girauta.
- Together: Toni Comín leads the candidacy of the Catalan independentists.
- Forgotten Spain Exists: Tomás José Guitarte, deputy of Teruel Exist, leads this coalition.
- Citizens: Jordi Cañas and Javier Nart head the list, with Begoña Villacís symbolically in last place.
- Believe: Edmundo Bal, founder of the new party, leads and closes the list with César Vera at the head.
- Add: includes Izquierda Unida, Verdes-Equo, Más Madrid, En Comú, Compromís, Chunta Aragonesista, Initiative of the Andalusian People and Nueva Canarias, led by Estrella Galán.
- Now Republics: composed of ERC, EH Bildu, BNG and Ara Més.
- Coalition for a Europe of Solidarity (CEUS): made up of PNV, Canarian Coalition, Proposta per les Illes de Baleares, Geroa Socialverdes de Navarra and the Atarrabia Group.
- Believe in Europe: coalition formed by Cree and Contigo Somos Democracia, led by César Vera.
- Together EU: includes Junts, Demòcrates de Catalunya and Movimient d’Esquerres de Catalunya, with Toni Comín at the head.
- Now Andalusia: It brings together Andalucía Por Sí, Convergencia Andaluza and Commitment for Andalucía.
- Wide Space Peace Sovereignty Republic: formed by the Free Federation Socialist Party, the European Federal Party, the Unified Labor and Broad Space Party.
- PCPC/PCPE: coalition between the Communist Party of the People of Spain and the Partit Comunista del Poble de Catalunya.
- Country i Rural Movement: composed of Convergents, Moviment Democrat Català, República Valenciana and Vía Mediterrània.
- European Pirates: includes Pirates de Catalunya and the Rebel Alliance.
Campaign and electoral constituencies
The electoral campaign lasts 15 daysstarting at 0:00 on May 24 and ending at 24:00 on June 7.
Furthermore, in the elections to the European Parliament, the electoral constituency in Spain is unique and includes the entire national territory. This means that voters vote for the same lists of candidates, regardless of the autonomous community or autonomous city in which they reside.
European elections 2024: how to vote?
Voters can vote in person at the polling station that corresponds to them according to the electoral roll or vote by mail whether they reside in Spain or abroad.
The Electoral Census Office sends a census card to all voters residing in Spain with their registration data in the census, indicating the polling station and polling station where they must vote. This information can also be consulted on the website of the National Statistics Institute.
Voting will begin at nine in the morning and will conclude at eight at night. If there are people in line at the polling station at that time, they will be able to vote. Afterwards, the members of the electoral board and the auditors will vote.
To vote, voters must identify themselves with an original document containing a photo: ID, passport or driving license. Photocopies of documents are not accepted. The miDGT application and the residence card can also be presented.
It should be noted that in Spain voting is not mandatory, since both voting and abstention are electoral rights.
Requirements to vote in the 2024 European elections
In order to vote, it is necessary to comply with the following requirements:
- Be 18 years old on the day of voting.
- Be registered on the electoral roll.
- Be a Spanish citizen or citizen of another country of the European Union residing in Spain, whether in national territory or abroad.
Do you have to register on the electoral roll?
Spanish citizens registered in Spain are automatically registered on the electoral roll and do not need to carry out any additional procedures. However, it is recommended to verify your data at the Electoral Census Office, especially if you have changed your residence.
- Electoral census: The electoral roll for these elections is valid from February 1, 2024 and includes registrations made until the penultimate business day of the previous month, that is, until January 30.
- Data correction: If any errors are detected in the data, voters can file a claim to correct them within a period of eight days starting on the sixth day after the election is called.
For their part, citizens of other European Union countries residing in Spain must have expressed their intention to vote in Spain before January 30 and be registered at the corresponding town hall within the same deadlines.
- Electoral census: They must be included in the electoral roll in force on February 1, 2024.
- Data correction: They have the same means of rectification of data as resident Spanish citizens.
Will people who are working on Sunday be able to be absent to exercise their right to vote?
Yes, according to the Workers’ Statute, the right to be absent from work with pay to exercise the right to vote is recognized.
The General Administration of the State or the autonomous communities can take specific measures so that employed workers and civil servants who work on election day can have up to four hours paid time off during your work schedule to go to vote, depending on how much their work day coincides with the hours of the polling stations.
Voters with disabilities: in-person assistance
The Ministry of the Interior, in collaboration with Plena Inclusion, has implemented a series of accessibility measures to ensure that all people with disabilities can exercise their right to vote in an accessible manner.
Voters with reading difficulties or with a disability (visual, auditory, intellectual or physical) that prevents them from choosing the ballot You can request the assistance of a person you trust. The auditors and representatives have received guidelines to guarantee the full accessibility of these citizens.
For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, a Free sign language interpretation service. Those with severe visual disabilities who use Braille and have a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%, or who are affiliated with ONCE, can request an accessible voting kit or briefcase by calling the toll-free number 900 150 000, from 16 from April to May 13, which will be delivered to them at the polling station on election day.
Additionally, it has implemented a signaling system in the polling stations of the capitals of all the autonomous communities to provide clear messages to help people with cognitive problems, intellectual disabilities or literacy difficulties find their way and navigate around schools.
People with disabilities They can also be designated as board membersand the Administration offers them support tools to guarantee their full participation in the electoral process.
Election results: when will they be known?
Some European countries will begin their voting process on Thursday, June 6, but The results will not be known until Sunday the 9thonce all polling stations in all countries have closed.
The newly elected MEPs will form transnational political groups according to the European political family to which they belong. In its first plenary session, all MEPs of the new Parliament will elect the new president of the institution, as well as other positions in the chamber’s bodies.
Subsequently, in a subsequent session, Parliament will vote on the proposal for the presidency of the European Commission presented by the European Council, which requires an absolute majority for its approval. Later, Parliament will examine and approve the entire College of Commissioners.
