Can I avoid going to an electoral table on 29-N?

The elections on the upcoming November 29 will again call nearly 75,000 people who will have to constitute or replace the more than 8,000 polling stations that will be in Catalonia. The draws were held between October 31 and November 4, and during the following three days, the town councils will communicate this to those selected by postal mail. If, by chance, you are one of those chosen, perhaps at this moment you are asking yourself the following questions: is there any way to avoid going and to appeal against the decision? What exceptions does the electoral law provide for? And what happens if, ultimately, I decide not to show up even though I have been called? Below we answer these questions.

Medical reasons for not going to the polling station

Those who can be part of the electoral board must be between eighteen and seventy years old, and be able to read and write. However, there are some exceptions that allow for excusing one's presence on election day. First, family responsibilities. For example, nursing mothers up to nine months will be exempt from attending the board. Also, anyone who has to care for children under twelve with a disability or children under fourteen when it is proven that no one else can take care of them. Or, if the person who has to attend the board is in charge of a relative who cannot fend for themselves –partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild–, they may also request not to appear.

Beyond these reasons, medical grounds may also be alleged. These include people who are more than six months pregnant (or earlier if it is a high-risk pregnancy) or those on maternity leave. As for people with a recognized disability, a permanent absolute incapacity, a major disability, or a temporary incapacity to work, they are also not obliged to be part of the board. If, on the other hand, there is an injury or illness that prevents performing as a member of the board, or an unavoidable medical operation is scheduled in the days before or on the day of the vote, the selected individual may allege these causes for not going to the polling station on 29-N.

Scenarios that allow you to be excused

Beyond medical reasons, electoral law also provides for personal reasons that can be alleged to be excused from the polling station. Some of these scenarios include having changed your usual place of residence outside of Catalonia, belonging to a religious community in a cloistered regime, or having been part of a polling station on three occasions over the last ten years.

Also exempt from the process are all electoral officials and professionals of essential services, and people who have to participate in public events on election Sunday.

What if I go on a trip?

Finally, if a family event "of special relevance" or "unpostponable" is being held that, if not celebrated, "causes significant economic damages," it can serve as an excuse not to be at the polling station. Among these circumstances, the fact of going on a trip right on election day is also valued: in previous elections during holiday periods, the Central Electoral Board also accepted as a reason for exemption the purchase of a ticket for a trip before the election call and that the cancellation would cause "economic damage or serious disruption".

How can one request not to be at the polling station?

From the day the communication is received –which, this year, will be starting from November 4th– those chosen have seven days to submit allegations. They must present them to the Zone Electoral Board, providing the documentation that proves the "justified cause". For any questions on how to carry out the procedure, you can contact by phone or email the Zone Electoral Board of your municipality. The resolution will arrive in five days at the latest, without the possibility of appealing against the final decision.

Outside of this deadline, it is necessary to communicate the impossibility of attending the polling station with a 72-hour margin, and if the impediment arises at the last minute, you must notify the Board before the polling stations are constituted and present, a posteriori, the justifications.

What happens if I do not go to the polling station?

If none of these reasons and scenarios have served to excuse oneself from the polling station, it will be necessary to appear there no matter what on November 29th. But, even so, there is someone who might ask the big question: how expensive or serious is it not to attend on the day of the elections? The law stipulates that failing to perform the duty carries a "prison sentence of three months to one year or a fine of 6 to 24 months." The most common outcome is a fine, and the amount will be decided by a judge based on the severity of the events and the person's income.