Spanish travel agencies seek election board exemption for travelers

The Spanish Confederation of Travel Agencies (CEAV) and UNAV-Fetave have submitted a formal inquiry to the Central Electoral Board (JEC) requesting unified criteria for exempting citizens from election polling station duties due to pre-booked travel.

Travel organizations are seeking legal certainty for travelers and agencies ahead of the upcoming elections on November 29. They advocate for a permanent and consistent standard, similar to the exceptional measures applied during the July 2023 general elections. In that previous instance, the JEC allowed exemptions if the cancellation of a trip would cause significant economic loss or serious disruption, provided the travel was booked before the official election call.

UNAV-Fetave specifically argues that exemptions should apply to any trips booked before a citizen receives their official notification of appointment, rather than being limited to a specific timeframe relative to the election announcement.