The European elections will be the fourth elections to be held in Spain in 2024, the third in just seven weeks. The European Parliament elections are held ‘at the same time’ in all the countries of the European Union, although each country can choose the specific day (or days) on which it takes place in its territory. Thus, it is the country itself that regulates the electoral calendar of the process. And the Official State Gazette (BOE) has already published, early on Tuesday, April 16, the royal decree of call for elections to the European Parliamentwhich in Spain are celebrated on June 9.

With this decree the electoral period begins which, among other consequences, implies the limitation of inauguration events and institutional campaigns. In accordance with our electoral legislation, the decree includes the number of seats in the European Parliament that are electedin this case 61 MEPs correspond to our country, according to a Decision of the European Council of September 22, 2023 that established the composition of the European Chamber.

Unlike the general elections, for the European Parliament elections The province is not used as an electoral reference, but the single constituency that includes the entire country is used. This decree also specifies the duration of the electoral campaign, which will be 15 days and will begin at midnight on May 24 and end at midnight on Friday, June 7.

Key dates of the European electoral calendar

  • May 24: campaign begins
  • May 30: last day to vote by mail
  • June 7: campaign ends
  • June 8: day of reflection
  • June 9: Election Day
  • June 14: scrutiny begins
  • June 17: scrutiny ends
  • June 29: last day to publish the results and elected MEPs

Until the approval of a uniform procedure throughout the European Union, the electoral procedure It is regulated by each Member State by its national provisions. Provisional information on the election result cannot be provided until the polls have closed in the European Union Member State in which voters last voted.

Thus, according to the decree, the general scrutiny will begin at 10:00 a.m. on June 14 and must conclude no later than midnight on June 17. The counting of votes at the national level, the attribution of the seats corresponding to each of the candidates and the proclamation of those elected will be carried out by the Central Electoral Board no later than June 29.

Regardless of the 15 days of campaign, the publication of the decree already marks the official start of the electoral period, 54 days in which the holding of official inauguration events and the dissemination of institutional campaigns are limited. It is also the ‘starting shot’ for the different deadlines of the electoral procedure and its successive scales: communication of the coalitions, collection of signatures for new lists, appointments of representatives, presentation of candidacies, judicial appeals, etc.