Vote by mail general elections July 23, 2023: How to request it and deadlines?

MADRID, May 30. (EDITIONS) -

The next call for general elections will be on July 23, a date that may coincide with the holidays of some voters. For them, there is the option to vote by mail. Here are the deadlines and the documentation necessary to do so.

The period for voting by mail has already been opened. It can be requested from May 30 to July 13. Keep in mind that you have to go to the nearest Post Office twice: once to request a vote by mail (unless you do it online) and once to vote.

If one travels to the Post Office, the DNI is enough.

In all electoral processes, Correos sets up a space on its website to request the 'online' vote. At the moment it is not active (they still have the one for May 28), but if one prefers to wait for this option, one must have an *electronic ID*--which must be inserted into a card reader-- or a*digital certificate valid, which must be installed on the computer. It does not work with having the Clave system installed. The natural person certificates accepted are: AC ABOGACÍA, Electronic Technology and Certification Agency - ACCV, ANCERT - Notarial Certification Agency, ANF AC, Bank of Spain, Santander Bank, BEWOR TECH, CAMERFIRMA, Consorci AOC (CATCert), CGCOM, Coloriuris (CIPSC), General Directorate of Police, Docuten, EADTrust, EDICOM, ENTRUST, ESCB, esFIRMA, National Currency and Stamp Factory - Royal Mint (FNMT-RCM), Firmaprofesional S.A., GISS, INDENOVA, IVSIGN / IVNOSYS, Izenpe, S.A., Logalty Servicios de Tercero de Confianza S.L., Spanish Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Employment and Social Security, SCR, SEPTIGO, SESCAM, SIA, SIGNE Certification Authority, UANATACA, VALIDATED ID, VINTEGRIS (vinCAsign)

Days later, one receives the electoral documentation at home: this includes an envelope with the ballot papers for each political formation, the certificate of registration in the census, and another envelope with the address of the polling station where it corresponds to vote.

Since they are general elections, and members of Congress and the Senate will be able to be elected, two ballots must be chosen, one for each election. After that, you have to put them in the corresponding envelopes, close them, and put both envelopes in a third one, destined for the electoral table and in which you have to include the certificate of registration in the census. This envelope is the one to send by certified mail.

The voter does not have to assume any cost: sending the vote by post does not require postage.

The envelope with the vote by mail must be sent no later than July 19. It must be remembered that you can only cast your vote in person at a Post Office and that, obviously, if you vote by mail you cannot vote later at the table.

Those of May 28 were the first elections after the repeal of the requested vote. In these, the Electoral Census Office will automatically send voters abroad all the necessary documentation to vote at the address where they are registered and --if they choose to vote in person-- they will be able to deposit their vote in the ballot box between the eighth and the third day before the elections in the dependencies authorized for it (Embassies, Offices or Consular Sections). For the first time they will also be able to download the ballots electronically.