Electoral Web Portal

The Electoral Table is the essential element and the basic unit of all electoral processes. It is composed of three persons – one who is the Chairperson and two others who are Members – who are chosen by drawing lots among names on the roll in an electoral ward (each electoral district is divided into electoral wards composed of a minimum of 500 and a maximum of 2,000 voters), and who must be under sixty-five years of age and be able to read and write.

Formation of tables is the responsibility of Town Councils, under the supervision of the Area Electoral Boards.

More information:
Sections 23 to 28 LOREG (Organic Law on the General Electoral System)
Section 7 of RD 605/99
ORDER of 3 April 1991, establishing the amount of allowance allocated to members of ELECTORAL TABLES (B.O.E. (Official Gazette of the Spanish State) no. 82, 5 April).

The Chairperson and two persons assigned as Members of each Electoral Table and their respective substitutes, if applicable, shall meet at 8 am on 27 May at the corresponding polling station.

If the person acting as Chairperson fails to attend, the first substitute replaces him or her. Should the latter also be absent, the second substitute replaces him or her, and if the last-mentioned also fails to attend, the first or second Member, in this order, takes the Chair. The persons designated as Members who have not attended or who have taken the Chair are replaced by their substitutes.

The Table cannot be formed without the presence of a Chairperson and two Members. Should it not be possible to meet this requirement, the members of the Table present, the substitutes who are in attendance or, failing this the government authority, sign and issue a report of the events occurring and send it by registered mail to the Area Electoral Board, whom they also notify by telegraph or by telephone.

In this case, the competent Electoral Board may freely appoint the persons who must form the Electoral Table, and may even order any voters present in the polling station to form part of it. At all events, the Board notifies the Attorney General’s office of the occurrence to establish the possible criminal responsibility of the members of the Table or their substitutes who failed to appear.

If, despite what is stated in the previous paragraph, the Table has not been formed one hour after the legally appointed time to commence voting, the persons mentioned in the third paragraph of this article will inform the Area Electoral Board of this circumstance, and the said Board will call a new vote at the Table within the following two days. A copy of the summons to vote will be displayed immediately on the door of the polling station and the Board will proceed to appoint the members of the new Table.

More information:
Section 80 and following LOREG (Organic Law on the General Electoral System)

Formation of tables is the responsibility of Town Councils, under the supervision of the Area Electoral Boards. The persons who must perform the roles of Chairperson and Members of electoral tables are chosen by drawing lots among the voters in the electoral ward who are under sixty-five years of age and are able to read and write. In order to chair the table a person must hold the full certificate of secondary-level education or an equivalent vocational certificate (if there are no voters with these qualifications, the Chairperson will be chosen from among those holding the primary school certificate or equivalent).

The draw to select the members of tables will be conducted by the Town Council in a public act which must be held between 28 April and 2 May, inclusive.

Persons finally appointed to Chair or act as Members of Tables and their substitutes:

• will receive an allowance of 55 euros.
• are entitled to a reduction of five hours in their working-day on the day immediately following service.
• will be protected by the Social Security system against any contingencies or situations arising from their participation in the Elections.

The posts of Chairperson and Members of Electoral Tables are compulsory.

Appointments to the Chair and membership of Tables must be notified to the persons concerned within three days of the appointment from 2 May. An instruction manual will be delivered together with the notification to those persons chosen as members of Tables regarding their functions; the preparation of said manual will have been supervised by the Central Electoral Board and approved by Resolution of the Governing Council of the Assembly of the Community of Madrid.

Those appointed to be Chairperson and Members of Tables have seven days within which to present before the Area Electoral Board justified and documented reasons which prevent them from accepting the posts. The Board rules without the right of appeal within a five-day period and notifies, if need be, the person chosen as first substitute of the substitution to be made.

Subsequently, should it prove impossible for any of the persons appointed to report for duty, this must be notified to the Area Electoral Board at least 72 hours before election day and relevant reasons must be furnished.

If the preventing factor occurs after this time period, notification must be given to the Board immediately, at any rate, before the Table is to be constituted. In such cases, the Board informs the corresponding substitute of the substitution, if there is time to do so, and proceeds to appoint another, if necessary.

Persons appointed to Chair or be Members of an electoral Table who fail to report for duty, abandon their post without legitimate cause, or do not fulfil their obligation to provide justifiable reasons or notification as laid down in the Organic Law on the General Electoral System, shall be liable to the penalty of deprivation of freedom for a period of 14 to 30 days and a fine of two to ten months, as stipulated in section 143 of the abovementioned Organic Law.

Non-self employed workers and civil servants who cannot take their weekly time off during the election day and who provide proof of Table duty, persons with power of attorney or auditors are entitled to paid time off work during election day. In any case, members of the Table and inspectors are entitled to a reduction of 5 hours in the working-day immediately following election day.

This non-recoverable leave shall be paid by the company once the condition of Table member or supervisor has been justified.

The person representing each political party may grant power of attorney to any citizen who is legally adult and in full use of his or her civil and political rights, for the purpose of representing the party in electoral acts and operations.

Power of attorney is awarded before a notary or the Secretary of the Provincial or Area Electoral Board, who issue the corresponding credential, in compliance with the official model.

Persons holding power of attorney must show their credentials and their D.N.I. (National Identity Card) to the Electoral Table members and other competent authorities.

Persons holding power of attorney are entitled to freely access polling stations and counting stations, to lodge complaints and express objections, and receive the certificates provided for by this Law, when they have not been issued to another agent or an inspector representing the same candidacy.

More information:
Section 77 LOREG (Organic Law on the General Electoral System)