When does Spain vote?
Spain’s general election takes place on Sunday 29 November 2026. Voters elect the whole Congress of Deputies and the directly elected members of the Senate. Together the two houses make up Spain’s national parliament. The date was set in Royal Decree 806/2026, published on 6 October.
Why are there two ballots?
The white ballot elects the Congress of Deputies. Voters choose one list of candidates in their constituency. The order of the names is fixed, so a voter cannot rearrange the list or pick individual names from it. There are 350 seats in Congress.
On the sepia ballot, voters mark individual candidates for the Senate. The number they can mark depends on the constituency. The Senate also includes members appointed by regional assemblies, so the election fills only its directly elected seats.
Which dates matter after election day?
- 13 to 27 November. The official campaign runs for 15 days.
- 29 November. Voters go to the polls and preliminary results are reported after voting ends.
- 4 to 7 December. The provincial electoral boards carry out the official count.
- 23 December. The newly elected Congress and Senate are due to meet for the first time.
That first meeting is a separate step from the vote that can make someone prime minister. For the official election calendar or guidance on voting from Spain or abroad, see the government’s 29N election guide.