Those lucky citizens who have been chosen by lottery to form part of the polling stations this Sunday, May 28, in view of the municipal and regional elections, should know that if they do not show up at the polling station they may be severely penalized.
As detailed in the Electoral Law, the positions of presidents or members of a polling station are mandatory. For this reason, if a citizen has been summoned and does not attend, he breaks the law, which entails a harsh sanction.
The sanction is imprisonment from three months to one year or a fine from six to twenty-four months.
Citizens who work on Sunday and have been called to form part of a polling station should know that they are entitled to full-time paid leave, so they will not lose part of their salary for that day.
In addition, if they have to work the day after the elections, that is, Monday, May 29, they have the right to a five-hour workday reduction.
As is obvious, the law includes a series of justified reasons why a citizen may not appear as president or member of a polling station despite having been summoned.
These reasons that justify the absence from a polling station must be previously justified to the Zone Electoral Board. So it is not worth not showing up that day without having previously received permission from the area board.
Likewise, voting by mail does not exempt citizens from being called to form part of a polling station, despite the widespread belief that it does. The causes that are regulated are:
Among these: being over 65 years of age, having a disability, being sick or on leave from work, being pregnant for more than six months or having a risky pregnancy or undergoing surgery on the days close to the vote.
Among them: being the mother of a baby under 9 months of age, having a child under 14 years of age when the other parent cannot take care of him, planning a family event of special importance that cannot be postponed or direct and continuous care of minors. 8 years old, people with disabilities or elderly and/or sick relatives.
Among them: the workers who provide their services to the electoral boards, the courts, health personnel, firefighters or the directors and heads of information services that must cover the day.
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