Today, over 38 million Spaniards are eligible to vote in what marks Spain’s ninth participation in the European Parliament elections since joining in 1985. These elections are significant, determining the allocation of 61 seats Spain holds in the European Parliament from a candidate pool of 4,168.
The eligible voters, part of a de jure population registered in Spain totalling 48,592,909, include 38,087,379 registered voters, an increase of approximately 2.2 million since the 2019 European elections. Among them, 35,361,672 reside in Spain, while 2,422,716 live abroad and are registered in the Electoral Census of Absent Residents (CERA). Additionally, 302,991 foreign residents in Spain are eligible to vote, reflecting the European nature of these elections.
The demographic breakdown shows more women than men are eligible to vote, with 18,265,157 women compared to 17,096,540 men. Notably, 408,278 young people will have their first opportunity to vote in a European election, representing 1% of all eligible voters.
Andalusia has the most registered voters with 6.43 million, followed by Catalonia, Madrid, Valencia, Galicia, and Castile and Leon. The regions with fewer voters include La Rioja, Cantabria, and Navarre, aside from the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
A total of 22,576 polling stations will open across 8,132 municipalities, setting up 58,556 polling booths and approximately 70,000 ballot boxes to ensure the 36,490 polling districts operate smoothly.
The government has confirmed that all preparations are in place for the elections to proceed smoothly this Sunday. The Secretary of State for Communication, Francesc Vallès, and the Undersecretary of the Ministry of the Interior, Susana Crisóstomo, assured the public in a press conference that the voting process will be seamless.
To ensure election security, over 95,000 agents from various police forces, including the national police, civil guards, and regional police units, will be deployed. The critical phase of this police operation began with the campaign’s end and will continue through voting day.
The Government will hold a press conference at 11pm to announce the provisional election results, featuring spokesperson Pilar Alegría and Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
