Spain begins selection of polling station members for November 29 elections

Spanish municipalities have begun the public lottery process to select citizens for polling station duties for the upcoming legislative elections on November 29. Local councils have until November 4 to complete these random selections, which can be conducted via computer programs or traditional methods like drawing names from a bag.

Approximately 549,297 people, including both primary members and alternates, are expected to be called to serve across 61,033 polling stations. Each station will be composed of a president and two members, with two alternates designated for each position. Selected individuals will be notified within three days of the lottery and will receive an instruction manual.

Serving on a polling station is mandatory. Those designated have seven days from notification to present justified excuses to the Zone Electoral Board. Valid reasons may include pre-booked travel that would cause significant economic loss if canceled. Members will receive a 75 euro stipend, and employees are entitled to paid leave and a five-hour reduction in their workday the following day.