Madrid (EFE).- Unlike the general elections and the regional elections, the municipal elections do not accept delays. For the parliamentary election of the president of the Government or the president of an autonomous community, the deadlines may be extended. But not to elect the mayor. Next June 17 will be the deadline in the more than 8,000 Spanish municipalities.
The Organic Law of the General Electoral Regime (LOREG) regulates the processes of constitution of municipal corporations and the elections of councilors.
Below are the highlights of these processes:
1. Municipalities: 20 days later
Article 195 of the electoral law indicates that the municipal corporations, that is, the political structure of the city councils, will be constituted “on the twentieth day after the elections are held.”
On June 17, 2023, therefore, citizens will know who their councilors will be.
Before, an Age Board made up of the oldest elected and the least elected will verify the credentials presented, issued by the electoral boards.
An absolute majority of the elected councilors must be present for the constitution to proceed. If this were not the case, the Corporation will be formed two days later, and here it does not matter how many councilors are there.
2. Election of the mayor
Mayors are all the councilors who have been heads of the list, and therefore, the vote concerns only these.
Whoever obtains the absolute majority of the votes (half plus one of the total number of councilors) will be proclaimed, as stated in article 196 of the electoral norm, but if none arouses that degree of support, the one with the most will be appointed ” popular votes”, that is, number one on the most voted list.
The LOREG contemplates what to do in the event that there is a tie between two candidacies. If this happened, the rule that governs electoral processes in Spain marks the solution: by lottery.
It also indicates how to proceed in municipalities with between 100 and 250 inhabitants, where all councilors are mayors, not just the heads of the list.
