In brief: Spain goes to the polls on Sunday 29 November 2026, with voting open from 09:00 until 20:00. Only Spanish citizens listed on the electoral census may cast a ballot. Residents from the EU and elsewhere cannot take part in a general election, though EU citizens are eligible in European and municipal contests. Barcelona returns 32 MPs. By 13 October, the PSC, ERC, Junts and Democràcia 21 had all put forward lead candidates. Neither the CUP nor Aliança Catalana is contesting the vote.
Why polling day falls in November
A royal decree dissolving parliament and calling the election appeared in the Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) on 6 October 2026. No city election is scheduled in Barcelona this autumn. The next municipal elections are due in May 2027.
Dates to note
| Date | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 16 October | Deadline for notifying electoral coalitions | Reported by two outlets |
| 21 to 26 October | Parties submit their candidate lists | Reported by two outlets |
| 3 November | Proclaimed lists published in the BOE | Reported |
| 13 to 27 November | Official campaign | Set by the decree |
| 19 November | Final day to apply for a postal vote | Official page |
| 29 November | Polling day, 09:00 to 20:00 | Set by the decree |
| 23 December | New Cortes convene | Set by the decree |
Who is entitled to vote
| Who | Can vote on 29 November? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish citizens aged 18 or over who appear on the electoral census | Yes | Appearing on the census is what counts. |
| Spanish citizens resident abroad | Yes | If you are registered on the CERA census (the register for Spaniards abroad), no application is required. That census closed on 1 August 2026. |
| EU citizens living in Spain | No | They may vote in European and municipal elections, but not general ones. |
| Non-EU residents, British residents included | No | Under reciprocity agreements, certain nationalities may vote in municipal elections. |
To confirm your entry on the census and locate your polling station, consult the Interior Ministry's electoral information site and the INE election page. Do this now, rather than on polling day.
What to take with you
- A DNI, passport or driving licence bearing a photo. Originals only: photocopies will not be accepted.
- A DNI application receipt (resguardo) is not accepted.
- Expired documents are accepted, according to the official procedures page.
Postal votes and voting from overseas
- Postal vote within Spain: apply by 19 November, the tenth day before polling day. Send the envelope by certified mail well before the official cut-off: it must be posted before the third day before polling day.
- Spaniards abroad: no application is needed. The Foreign Ministry's Bordeaux consulate page explains the process. Posting and in-person deadlines differ from consulate to consulate, so consult your own consulate's page.
Parties contesting Barcelona (as of 13 October 2026)
| Party | Status | Lead candidate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSC, the Socialists in Catalonia | Confirmed on 11 October | Jordi Hereu, former Barcelona mayor | Named by the party, per 3Cat. |
| ERC | Confirmed | Gabriel Rufián | On 12 October ERC confirmed it will run on a single list in Catalonia with Podem, per 3Cat. |
| Podem | Not standing under its own name | None | Its names feature on ERC's list. |
| Junts | Named its candidate on 8 October | Míriam Nogueras | Reported by VilaWeb. |
| Democràcia 21 | Confirmed on 10 October | Miriam González Durántez | A new party standing in Madrid and Barcelona only, per El Español. |
| Frente Amplio (Sumar, the Comuns, Más Madrid and IU) | Not yet confirmed | Ada Colau, proposed by Más Madrid on 7 October | Colau has said she will stand if the whole left joins. The Comuns had not yet agreed. Coalitions must be notified by 16 October. |
| PP | Not yet confirmed | None | Its Barcelona list has still to be filed. |
| Vox | Reported only | Juanjo Aizcorbe, per a press report of 7 October | The party has not confirmed a name. |
| CUP | Not standing | None | On 12 October members voted 68.9% against standing, per Diario de León and Aldia. |
| Aliança Catalana | Not standing | None | Announced in early October. |
What this means for Barcelona
Barcelona province sends 32 MPs to the Congress, a figure exceeded only by Madrid. The count is carried out province by province. To take a seat in a province, a party must win at least 3% of the valid votes there. Seats are allocated under the D'Hondt method, which works in favour of the larger lists.
The Senate is chosen on the same day. Each voter may mark up to three names, and every province returns four senators.
What remains unsettled
- Who will head the Frente Amplio list in Barcelona, and whether Ada Colau stands at all.
- The PP and Vox lists for Barcelona, which are filed between 21 and 26 October.
- The full slate of names for each party. These emerge as the lists are filed, with the proclaimed lists appearing in the BOE on 3 November.
How this page is kept current
This page was checked on 13 October 2026. The party entries above will change as lists are filed. Before casting your vote, rely on the official sources listed below rather than on this page.
Sources
- The decree calling the election: Royal Decree 806/2026, Boletín Oficial del Estado.
- Electoral law: Organic Law 5/1985 on the General Electoral System.
- Who may vote, and the documents required: Interior Ministry, electoral rights and Interior Ministry, voting procedures.
- Spanish Constitution, article 13.2, which restricts voting rights to Spaniards, with reciprocal exceptions for municipal elections: BOE text of the Constitution.
- Election information from the statistics institute: INE, General Elections of 29 November 2026.
- Voting from abroad: Foreign Ministry, Bordeaux consulate.
- Party positions (reported press, checked on 13 October 2026): 3Cat, PSC; 3Cat, ERC and Podem; VilaWeb, Junts; El Español, Democràcia 21; Metrópoli Abierta, Frente Amplio; Diario de León, CUP; Aldia, CUP members' vote.
