Spanish local elections will be held at the end of the month...and some Brits are standing -

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-65269398

Yes, i have voted in every local election I have been eligible to since I arrived here in 2006.

How does the system work on the day of voting ? I have got my voting slip and looked up details of candidates. It seems there is two parties standing. Each party has a list of names standing as main and list of deputies. I only recognise one name. Do you have to vote by listing in order of preference etc unlike the UK where you just vote for the one you want?

It's a closed list, you vote for the party, the party chooses the representatives. In practice you just pick up the slip, put it in the envelope, and vote, and they cross your ID off the list. You can only vote at the place and table assigned to you, you should be receiving that information in the post soon if you haven't already.

Where I vote there are the usual booths or you can just pick up the slip and envelope which are in piles on a desk everyone can see... not sure I like that last bit too much.

You'll probably get sent political advertising which includes their party's slip of paper and the envelope, at least from the better funded parties. Taxpayer funding for campaigns depends on how many votes each party wins, and parties can ask for an advance based on the results last time meaning the big parties always have the best advertising and the advertising comes with their party's voting slip and and envelope.

Thanks for that info as I was thinking I haven't a clue who they all are. Sounds easy enough from what you say. I have the card saying I'm registered to vote at the local school. Thanks for reply

Just checked my voting slip and yes it identifies the table I have to use.

Broadly speaking it is proportional representation so you vote the whole list of candidates. At the results end, the count of the numbers of votes for each list is worked out and a system of allocation going down the list from 1 downwards works out who is actually voted in. I'm simplifying the detail, but if your chosen list had say 40 candidates on it, and your list polls say 30%, then the first twelve people on that list would be elected.

Yes thanks for this info. I still got it wrong! In the UK one goes to the desk, then the booth, then the ballot box. But here (regional differences may apply) you go to the booth, put your chosen lists into the correspondingly coloured envelopes, then go to the desk to identify yourself and put your envelopes into the two ballot boxes.

For ID I gave my non-photo TIE and passport. I think they'd be happy with a TIE given its photo.

I always thought it strange that there were so many mayors, but I see now it's just their name for the local council leader and that they're not directly elected like the UK's.

One other thing: in conversation it's considered indiscreet to ask how somebody votes.

All very straightforward forward, I have just shown my passport and the 'tarjeta censal' form thing that arrived through the post - then I placed my pre-prepared envelope into the box (using a voting slip that was left in my buzon)

We can only vote in the local elections and not for the other one, in my case Valencia.

Yes I have just voted very simple procedure. I had the lists and envelopes as they were brought to our door in our village there are only two parties to vote for. There was a private booth available of needed with voting lists and envelopes. I used my TIE card for ID they struck my name off the list and I posted the envelope in the box. They never asked for the certificate I received after applying to vote.

Good point: if you already have the slips of the party you want to vote for, and the envelopes, you can just go to the correct desk.
That's strange. I voted in both municipality and community elections (in my case Cantabria). Oh no! Have I committed voter fraud?

There are 12 parties running where I am. I imagine that in Madrid or Barcelona there are a gazillion. They must waste so much paper on those voter lists.

I Got three envelopes and candidate lists from one party, one sent from the party itself, one put in the letterbox by local rep and one delivered by hand in person . This morning I noticed one of the envelopes had two candidate lists inside🤔 I wonder if that was a deliberate attempt to gain a crafty extra vote or simple error.

If it was an attempt then in theory it shouldn't work as that vote should be disqualified as the envelope doesn't contain one unspoilt ballot paper.

Yes I thought much the same. I'm sure it was a genuine mistake I simply seperated it and ensured there was only one in the envelope.