On July 23, Spaniards are again called upon to vote at the polls. And no matter how many summers, long weekends and holidays, you will not be able to get rid of the presence at the polling station if it’s your turn. However, what can you do from now on ands request a vote by mail and thus be able to vote whether you go on vacation or not.

Although the mail-in voting process began on May 30, it was only today that the Post Office launched the process of requesting a vote by mail electronically.

Requesting a vote online has some advantages, the most important being that you only need to come to the post office once to put your vote in, instead of going to request it, pick it up and vote. The process of submitting a request to vote by mail via the Internet is very simple, but we inform you in advance: you need a digital certificate or DNI -e to start the process. In addition, it is mandatory have AutoFirma installed on your computer.

This means that it is much more difficult to do this from a mobile phone at the moment. Since the AutoFirma application does not work correctly on Android, and on iOS it has not been updated for several months, and in our tests it also did not work correctly, like any administration process, you need to arm yourself with patience and, our advice, do the process from FirefoX.

That being said, the process of requesting a vote by mail is very simple once you overcome the pitfalls of digital signatures and electronic certificates.

How do I apply online to vote by mail?

You must have a DNI e-certificate or a valid digital certificate (how do I request one?). If you have one of these, the steps are very simple:

• Enter Special website of the Post for the elections in July 2023.
• Click on request to vote by mail (this is the only option offered)
• A new window will open with two options: send or consult. Choose “send an application for voting by mail via the Internet.
• Fill all necessary fields.
• After filling in all the fields, the system will automatically ask you to sign it electronically (hence the fact that self-signature must be installed on your computer).
• After you sign the application with self-signature Your application will be sent and you can download a copy:

However, this is not an automatic process. As Correos confirmed, the Census Electoral Service must approve the request so that it sends you the voting documents to the address you provided in your request.

Application deadline

It can be requested from the date of the call up to July 13, 2023 inclusive. Once you receive your vote, you can deliver it to any post office. Don’t forget the ID. has a deadline hand in the envelope with your vote by July 19, 2023.

Can everyone vote by mail?

Yes, in principle, all Spaniards who have the right to vote (not restricted for criminal reasons, for example) can request a vote by mail. Of course, keep in mind that After applying online, if it is accepted by the Census Electoral Chamber, you will not be able to vote at the polling station on Election Day.

The only ones who will not be able to request a vote by mail are Spanish residents temporarily abroad. Nor by voters living abroad who request it in their country of residence.