Voting in Spain

Voting as a foreigner: Who can vote in Spain's elections and how to register to vote. Voting abroad: Who can and how to vote in your home country's elections.

In many cases, when you live abroad your voice can still be heard. Here’s how to vote in Spain’s elections, as well as your home country’s elections:

Voting in Spain

The Right to Vote in Spain’s Municipal Elections

As a foreigner, you can vote in Spain’s municipal elections if you’re an official resident of Spain AND a citizen of the European Union OR a citizen of a country with which Spain has a reciprocity agreement. So far that only includes Norway. However, agreements with other countries will likely be added in the future.

The Right to Vote in Spain’s European Parliamentary Elections

You can vote in Spain’s European Parliamentary elections if you’re a citizen of the European Union AND an official resident.

Registering to Vote in Spain

You can register to vote in Spain’s elections (if eligible per the two sections above) in person at your local city hall (ayuntamiento). Once you’re officially on the list as a voter (the Registro Censal), you will be sent a Tarjeta Censal with the details of your registration and where you will need to go to vote.

Keep in mind that if you can vote in Spain, then you can run for office too!

Voting from Spain

Voting in U.S. Elections

Generally speaking, as a U.S. citizen residing abroad for any length of time for any reason, you can vote absentee (by mail).

You can register to vote and request an absentee ballot using the instructions found at the official Federal Voting Assistance Program website (http://www.fvap.gov/). Or I recommend you use the Overseas Vote Foundation (http://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/) to make the process even easier. They provide more information than the official site.

Note that each state has its own rules, including whether or not the children of expat U.S. citizens can vote. The last U.S. state you resided in prior to living abroad is considered to be your “legal state of residence.”

Voting in U.K. Elections

As a British citizen living abroad, you can vote in general UK elections and European Parliamentary elections (not local elections, Scottish Parliamentary elections, National Assembly for Wales elections, nor Northern Ireland Assembly elections) if you were registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years. Or in the event that you left the UK as a child, if your parents were registered to vote in the UK. British citizens who have lived outside the UK for more than 15 years might not be able to vote.

If you’re eligible to vote, you can do so by mail or by proxy. Click here to find voter registration forms and here for postal vote application forms, or here for proxy vote application forms. You’ll need to print, fill out, sign, and mail in the forms to the address specified right on the forms. In addition, your application forms must be witnessed by another British citizen who is not a relative.

Voting in Canada’s Elections

Expat Canadians can vote in federal elections by mail if they have resided outside Canada for less than five years in a row. You can start the registration process here at the Elections Canada website (http://www.elections.ca/).

Voting in Ireland’s Elections

Unfortunately, the Republic of Ireland does not currently allow its citizens to vote from overseas.

Voting in New Zealand’s Elections

As an expat New Zealand citizen, you can vote if you have visited New Zealand in the last three years. Permanent residents of New Zealand who live outside New Zealand can also vote if they have visited New Zealand in the last year.

You can register to vote or check your registration (enrollment) status here at the Elections New Zealand website (http://www.elections.org.nz/). You can then vote by mail or at specially designated overseas posts.

Voting in Australia’s Elections

Australians who were on the Electoral Roll when they left Australia and are living outside Australia for one to six years – but who left Australia less than three years ago – can register as Eligible Overseas Electors. The Application for Registration as an Overseas Elector can be found here and should be mailed or faxed per the form instructions. You will be able to vote at participating Australian overseas missions or by mail (postal vote).

Australians who live permanently outside of Australia are encouraged to complete an Overseas Notification Form, but please note that this removes you from the Electoral Roll and means that you can no longer vote until you reside in Australia again (for at least one month).

Last updated 22 01 2009

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