Personal grounds for declining include being between 65 and 70 years old, as people are exempt from the age of 70, having a recognized disability, suffering from an absolute permanent incapacity or severe disability, being on medical leave, or being at least six months pregnant. The rules also cover having served on an electoral board at least three times in the past 10 years or having a court-issued restraining order against someone registered at the same polling station. Other circumstances, such as an illness that makes it difficult to perform the duties, a high-risk pregnancy or unavoidable surgery, may also justify an absence, although they require an individual assessment.
Family responsibilities are another ground covered by the regulations. Exemptions may be granted to those caring for a nursing infant, children under 12 or people with disabilities under legal guardianship, as well as relatives up to the second degree who cannot look after themselves. Major and unavoidable family events, such as a wedding, are also taken into account, as is the case of parents of children under 14 who are single parents or whose other parent cannot care for the children during election day.
WORK-RELATED REASONS ARE ALSO AN EXCUSE
In the professional sphere, the regulations include people who must work during election day for the electoral boards themselves, courts or public administrations involved in the process. They also cover essential-service professionals, such as healthcare workers, firefighters and civil protection personnel, when replacing them is impossible or especially difficult. They are joined by directors of media outlets and heads of news services who must cover the elections, as well as professionals required to take part in previously scheduled public events whose cancellation would cause significant financial losses.
Those who find themselves in any of these situations have seven days from receiving the notification to submit their claims to the relevant Electoral District Board. In Zaragoza, the procedure can be completed at the Fueros de Aragón building, located at 89 Avenida José Atarés, Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., or by email at alegaciones.jezz@justicia.aragon.es.
What happens if a trip had already been booked? Carmen Corral, head of Organization and General Services, explained that this circumstance can also be presented, although it does not guarantee an exemption. "One board has accepted trips, for example abroad, while another has said that, if I am not shown that the trip cannot be canceled and that it would cause serious financial harm, I will not accept it," she said. The head of Organization and General Services recalled that the criteria may vary from one Electoral Board to another and stressed that "the best thing is always to submit the claim."
