Can I Stand For Election In The Municipal Elections?

You can if you meet the requisites.

You should be over 18 years old.
Be a resident in Spain and registered on the padron
Have declared your interest to vote in the elections and registered in the census.
Meet the requisites required by Spanish law
Entitled to stand as a candidate in your country of origin.
Residence formalities
Workers and pensioners
Students
Jobseekers
Documents and formalities
Elections abroad
Municipal elections
European Parliament elections
Home country elections
Updated : 19/01/2015

Municipal elections
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If you are an EU national living in another EU country, you have the right to vote and stand as a candidate in municipal elections in that country.

Getting on the electoral roll
If you want to vote in municipal elections in the country where you live, you first need to express your intention to do so and apply to be put on the electoral roll in that country. You will be asked to supply information such as your nationality and address.

Find out where and how to register in your host country:

Choose country
However, in the case of municipal elections, registration on electoral rolls is automatic in these countries: Austria (except Burgenland), Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden. Once registered as a resident there, you will automatically be put on the electoral roll for municipal elections.

In countries where voting is compulsory, you will be included on electoral rolls only upon your own request.

Conditions to vote
As an EU national, you will be voting under the same conditions as nationals of the country where you live. If nationals are required to have been living in the country or in the municipality for a certain period to be allowed to vote, it will be the same for you.

However, the periods that you have spent in other EU countries – other than your home country – should be taken into account.

Special rules can apply in EU countries where non-nationals make up more than 20 % of the total electorate; in such cases, the host country can require an additional period of residence before you can participate in municipal elections. Today the only such country is Luxembourg.

Compulsory voting
If voting in municipal and European elections is compulsory in your host country and, following registration, you were put on the electoral roll of that country, you are obliged to vote – just as the nationals of that country are.

Voting is compulsory in these EU countries: Belgium, Cyprus, Greece and Luxembourg.

Standing as a candidate
To stand as a candidate in municipal elections in your host country you may be required to make a declaration that you are not disqualified from standing as a candidate in your home country. You may be asked to support this declaration with proof issued in your home country.

In these countries, you can be elected to a councillors’ position but only nationals can become mayors:

Belgium
Bulgaria
Cyprus
France
Greece
Italy
Lithuania
Poland
Romania
Slovenia

Please note: The information provided is based upon our understanding of current legislation. It is not legal advice but is provided freely to enable you to be properly informed. We recommend that if you are considering taking action, you should seek professional advice.