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Barcelona has already selected 15,336 people for the polling stations on 29N
The municipal draw has already taken place: Barcelona has appointed 15,336 people for 1,704 polling stations. If you have been selected, you can check by phone or at the Oficina Virtual, and you have seven days to appeal from the moment you sign for the letter.
Failing to attend an electoral table without a justified reason can result in financial penalties and even up to a year in prison. In Barcelona, the draw has already taken place and those who have been selected can check the result without waiting for the letter to arrive.
The city has selected 15,336 people to staff 1,704 tables in the general elections on 29 November. The draw was brought forward to Saturday, 31 October, although the legal deadline for holding it was 4 November.
How to check if you’ve been selected
There are two ways to check the result. You can call 010 for free and provide your personal details, or go to the Oficina Virtual de Trámites del Ayuntamiento.
On the website, you’ll need to identify yourself digitally and open your Espacio Personal. Identification can be done with idCAT Mòbil. Cl@ve and the electronic DNI are also accepted. Then, look for “Datos del censo electoral”: if you have been selected, the official notification will appear there.
The certified letter from Correos includes a manual with the duties of the position. If you’re not at home when the postman calls, they’ll leave a notice so you can collect the notification at the relevant office. The deadline to submit appeals to the Junta Electoral de Zona (JEZ) is seven days from when you sign for the letter.
The day at the table and compensation
Those serving as president or member must arrive at eight in the morning and stay until the count is finished, which can go beyond eight in the evening. The payment for the day is 75 euros.
If you work, you are entitled to paid leave on election Sunday and a five-hour reduction in your working day on Monday the 30th. Alternates must also turn up first thing; if the main appointees arrive and the table is formed, the alternates go home without pay.
Valid reasons for exemption
People aged between 65 and 70 can opt out directly. You can also request exemption for a disability of 33% or more, or if you have performed this duty three times in the last ten years.
Other valid reasons for absence include being on call for essential services — for example, as a doctor or firefighter — and caring for minors or sick people. Pregnancy can also be grounds for exemption, as can a recent or upcoming injury or surgery close to the election date.
The JEZ may consider other personal changes: having moved to another autonomous community while still on the census of the previous city, having a major family event scheduled, or having booked a holiday before the election was called.
For other municipal matters, the council has also expanded its legal defence in lawsuits over fines.