Your voice in Europe, your vote on May 25th

[Guanche]

I'm voting PSOE because there's a really cute blonde one.

I am sure Prof's comment is tongue in cheek. But I feel the reality is that most won't even notice the 'Cute blonde one' and for those that do it will probably be enough!

[Janet]

There have been some changes in polling station allocations

If you are voting for the first time on May 25th in the European Elections – you must be on the census to do so – you will need to know which polling station you are required to attend to vote, and should have received an official communication telling you where to go. However if you haven't received this letter but have registered on the census you are still entitled to vote.

If you have voted before do still take note as there have been some important changes, in particular for residents in Playa Paraíso and Costa Adeje. While you have probably received a leaflet outlining the changes and listing the streets and the polling station allocation, here are the most important changes.

Playa Paraíso
In previous elections residents of Playa Paraíso voted in the Callao Salvaje Cultural Centre, however this year there are changes, due to the creation of a new electoral section, 'sección 17'. Voters who live in the following streets will now vote in the Armeñime station:

Armeñime Cultural Centre Polling Station
Sección 17 tables U
• Adeje 300,– the whole street
• Aljibe, (El) , the whole street
• Andenes, (Los) , 1- 13
• Galgas, (Las), 1- 18
• Horno, (El), the whole street
• Idafe, 1-59
• Ladera (La), 1- 20
• Loma (La), the whole street
• Pinque, (El), the whole street
• Playa Paraiso, 1- 101
• Vega, (La), 1- 31
• Vera, (La), 1- 21

Costa Adeje
There are a number of changes for residents in Costa Adeje from Playa las Américas to San Eugenio Alto, due to the creation of a new 'seccíon 18'. Therefore people who might have voted previously in the Magma Arte y Congresses centre may find they are now voting in the Costa Adeje (Las Américas) Bus Station or the Miraverde Cultural Centre. Check below for your street name and number.

Miraverde Cultural Centre
Sección 18, tables A-B
• Andorra, the whole street
• Aragon, the whole street
• Asturias, 1- 99
• Atenas, 1-99, 2-98
• Baleares, 2-20, 1-23
• Beirut, 1- 2
• Berna, 1-10
• Cantabria, the whole street
• Ceuta, the whole street
• Dublin, the whole street
• Extremadura, the whole street
• Galicia, the whole street
• Ifonche, 1-44
• Lisboa, 1-44
• Madroñal, 26-60, 67
• Melilla, the whole street
• Murcia, the whole street
• Navarra, the whole street
• Rioja, (La), the whole street

Costa Adeje Bus Station
Sección 7, tables A-B
• Antonio Navarro
• Argentina, 1-4
• Bolivia, 1-4
• Bruselas (De), 1-11
• Colon, (De) the whole street
• Comarcal, 2 -26, 1-45
• Cuba, 1-4
• Ernesto Sarti, the whole street
• España, (De) the whole street
• Eugenio Dominguez Afonso, 1-4
• Gran Bretaña, the whole street
• Guatemala, the whole street
• Londres, 1-4
• Paraguay, the whole street
• Paris, 1-14
• Pueblos (De los), the whole street
• Rafael Puig Lluvinia, the whole street
• Republica de Panama, the whole street
• Roma, 1-6
• Uruguay, the whole street
• V Centenario, the whole street
• Valencia, 1-6
• Venezuela, the whole street

Sección 11 table U
• Alemania, 2-18, 1-9
• Austria, the whole street
• Caldera, (La), the whole street
• Cataluña, 1-16
• Diario de Avisos, 1-17
• Dinamarca, 1-17, 2-4
• Europa, the whole street
• Finlandia, the whole street
• Francia, the whole street
• Grecia, 1-7
• Irlanda, the whole street
• Islandia, 1-4
• Italia, 1-6
• Madrid, the whole street
• Noruega, 1-7, 2-4
• Pais Vasco, the whole street
• Paises Bajos, 1-3, 2-6
• Pasaje de Austria, 1-99
• Portugal, 1-10
• Suecia, the whole street
• Suiza, the whole street
• Vista Bella, 1-12

If you are still unsure or have more questions, you can check with the council by phone on 922 756 200 or 922 531 750.

JA

[Guanche]

Santa Cruz this morning. 12 old gits sat round the coffee table. Question, 'Who's going to vote?' Answer, two and one of those is the wife who's going to spoil her vote.

[Janet]

  

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Earlier I was in a dilemma as to which party to vote for.  Now, very helpfully, I have received bumpf from the PP, CC, los verdes, the socialistas, the unión progreso y democracia, and the CC again.  So much reading material!  I can't wait.

What am I supposed to do with all the little envelopes and lists of candidates they have included?

[Guanche]

If I remember correctly you can use them to vote once you have gone through the verification process. Stick the list in the envlope before you go or in the voting booth and put the vote in the box................. I think, Janet?

[Janet]

yes 

[Janet]

European elections - how to vote

If you are an EU national and are on both the 'padrón' and census of your local Ayuntamiento, you are entitled to vote this coming Sunday, 25 May, in the European Elections. Remember, however, that you can only vote once in these elections, so if you are going to be in the UK to vote on the 22nd (when the UK is holding its own EU elections), you cannot also vote here in Spain.

Spain will elect 54 deputies to the European Parliament. You should have received a polling card through the post telling you where your polling station is, but provided that you are on the padron and census, you will still able to vote even if you have not received such a card. You may, however, need to check where your polling station is by contacting your local town hall. There have been some changes to voting stations in Adeje, most notably for voters in Playa Paraíso and Costa Adeje, as in yesterday's post above.

Polling stations will be open from 9am to 8pm on Sunday. You will need to have some form of photo ID with you – Spanish national identity card (DNI), UK passport, drivers licence if it has a photograph. You should carry your Certificado de Registro as well to show that you are correctly registered with the police to live legally in Spain. Whatever documents you take, take the originals. Once your turn comes you will approach the table and identify yourself to the officers. Spain votes using the D'Hondt Method of allocating seats using a list system, so the political parties have already chosen the list of candidates who will represent them. Those lists are printed off and placed in the booths with the names of the parties at the top of each list and the candidates underneath. Your vote involves choosing which "list", so which party, you wish to vote for, rather than individual candidates.  Having chosen one of the lists, you place it in the envelope provided and then slot it into the ballot box at the electoral table. JA

[Janet]

Wonder how well UKIP will really do in the UK's Euroelections. And if so whether it's really a protest vote, or just that Farage sounds like a human being (which is what LibDem minister Lynne Featherstone has just said).

[Pete]

Well, Farage does sound more human than the rest of them, but the interesting fact is how many scandals there have been in recent weeks about the less pleasant members of the party which have apparently failed to dent their standings in the polls.

If it were a vote in support of the UKIP itself, I'd presume the standings in polls would have dropped as a result, but that's not what we saw in the polls leading up to this. But it will be very interesting indeed.