Spain's Electoral Board says mail-vote rules are already law, rejects extra safeguards

The Junta Electoral Central (JEC) issued a statement to the PP and Vox asserting that the transparency of postal voting is already regulated by law for all Spanish voters, including those living abroad. Consequently, the JEC dismissed the parties' calls for extra-ordinary measures aimed at strengthening the custody of mailed ballots, a request that also covered votes from the Censo Electoral de Residentes Ausentes. The board reiterated that electoral authorities are obliged to apply the procedures set out in current electoral legislation until any amendment is enacted by the parliament.

It suggested that, as parliamentary parties, PP and Vox should seek to modify the law through the legislative process rather than seeking administrative shortcuts. The JEC also noted that electoral boards can only act on specific complaints of irregularities, as has been done in past cases when concrete evidence was presented.