Rincon town hall tells foreign residents how to get on the 2027 voting list, including Brits

Rincon de la Victoria council has kicked off a local information drive so foreign neighbours already on the padron can cast a ballot in the municipal elections on May 23, 2027. Mayor Francisco Salado said staff want people to know the paperwork and the deadlines well before queues form at the last minute.

Who can vote in Rincon’s town hall race

EU nationals and citizens of countries with a reciprocity deal with Spain qualify if they are 18 or over, legally resident and registered on the local padron. The same goes for any resident in Spain. That list includes the United Kingdom, Norway, Ecuador, Colombia and Chile, among others. Only local council elections are open; regional and national polls stay closed to non-Spanish nationals.

Councillor for internal affairs Pepi Carnero said applications can go in online, at the town hall or by post. Official forms will be ready in council offices so residents can sort their situation early rather than rush later.

Deadlines that actually matter

EU residents who have not already declared they want to vote in Spain need that declaration in place by December 30, 2026 if it is to count for May 2027. Nationals of reciprocity countries must apply to join the Censo Electoral de Extranjeros Residentes (CERE) between December 1, 2026 and 15 January 2027. Town halls then send those forms on to the provincial electoral census office.

Spain-wide guidance already published by Euro Weekly News sets out the same windows and the three-year residence rule that applies to many British residents under the post-Brexit deal. Rincon’s campaign simply brings that process to the doorstep.

Paperwork usually means a valid TIE or residence card, a recent padron certificate and a passport. Some offices also want proof of continuous legal stay, so old cards or a police residence certificate are worth keeping to hand.

Where to do the paperwork

Digital applications run through the INE electronic office. Paper forms can be posted or handed in at Rincon town hall, which will keep the official templates available. Interior Ministry pages on the electoral census spell out who sits on the CERE and which countries hold reciprocity deals.

Leave it late and the name will not appear on the 2027 lists. A few minutes now beats a closed window next winter.