What it is
Bill to count mail-in votes separately
It is a members’ bill. Introduced by parliamentary groups, the Senate, regional governments or citizens. It was introduced on 4 June 2025. Introduced by: Grupo Parlamentario VOX.
Official title: Organic Private member's bill amending Organic Law 5/1985, of June 19, on the General Electoral Regime.
Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 122/000200· updated 11 Nov
Automatic summary, not yet reviewed
- The bill would require mail-in voting to be done in person, with the voter identified using their national ID card. Without that ID, no vote would be accepted.
- Mail-in ballots would go into a separate ballot box from in-person ballots and would be counted independently. Results would be announced out loud, distinguishing between in-person and mail-in votes.
- The new rules would also apply to elections for the Legislative Assemblies of the Autonomous Communities (Spain's regions).
- The Government could issue the rules needed to apply the law, which would take effect the day after its publication in the Official State Gazette.
Who it affects
- People who vote by mail: They would have to show their national ID in person when casting their vote, and their ballots would be counted separately.
- Polling boards (Mesas Electorales): They would have to use a separate ballot box for mail-in votes, count them independently, and announce those results separately.
- The Autonomous Communities: Their Legislative Assembly elections would also be subject to these rules.
Words worth knowing
- Ley orgánica
- A special type of Spanish law, reserved for major matters such as the electoral system, requiring enhanced majorities to pass.
- Escrutinio
- The counting of ballots to determine the election result.
- Mesa Electoral
- The group of people who run each polling station: they guard the ballot boxes, check who may vote, and count the ballots.
- Proposición de ley
- A bill introduced by a parliamentary group to create or change a law. It is not yet an approved law.
It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries
Where it stands
How far did it get?
It took 2 of 7 steps. It reached Admitted, and today it is unfinished.
- Introduced4 June 2025Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
- Admitted10 June 2025The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
- Amendmentsnot reachedGroups propose changes.
- Committeenot reachedA committee goes through the text in detail.
- Plenarynot reachedAll 350 deputies vote.
- Senatenot reachedThe Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
- BOEnot reachedIt is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.
See the 5 official steps on a timeline
Was there a plenary vote?
We have no plenary vote linked to this law in the Congreso’s data.
What happens next
What happens now?
The legislature ended before it finished. To go on, someone would have to introduce it again in the new Cortes.
It has not been presented again yet.
Presented before in:
- XIV Legislature, Congreso de los Diputados· Unfinished Bill would count mail-in ballots separately
Sources
Where does all this come from?
- Congreso de los Diputados, file 122/000200
Official title, type, author, dates and stage.
Retrieved 11 November 2026
- Congreso de los Diputados, procedure
The date of each step, with its official wording.
Retrieved 12 November 2026
- The data comes from the open files of the Congreso, the Senate and the BOE, unaltered.
- Each deputy’s province is the one of their seat on the day of the vote.
- We only say “passed” or “rejected” when the majority needed is certain; otherwise we say which side had more votes.