954 agents will watch over the normal development of the electoral day in La Rioja next Sunday, May 28. Personnel of the National Police, the Civil Guard and Local Police of the Autonomous Community will form this security device to guarantee citizen security and the exercise of rights and freedoms during the voting day.
The delegate of the Government in La Rioja, Beatriz Arraiz Nalda, presided this morning the Extraordinary Security Board for the coordination of this security device that will be established on the occasion of the Local and Autonomous Elections.
The Extraordinary Security Board was attended by, among others, the Secretary General of the Government Delegation, Javier Iribas; the Superior Chief of Police of La Rioja, Manuel Laguna; and the Acting Chief Colonel of the X Zone of the Civil Guard, Enrique Moure.
Specifically, the National Police will deploy a total of 280 officers, while in the Civil Guard there will be 630 officers. For its part, the agents of the different municipal police will be 44. This device has 139 police officers more than in the previous Local Elections and the European Parliament held in May 2019, which represents an increase of 15.6%.
The State Security Forces and Corps will work to ensure that the 516 polling stations set up in La Rioja can open on time and the election day runs normally. The device will start at 00.00 hours on the 28th and will last until 9.00 hours on the 29th.
The delegate recalled that for months, work has been being done to ensure that this electoral process takes place smoothly, “guaranteeing the right of citizens to vote.”
He was grateful for the important work carried out every day of the year by agents of the National Police, the Civil Guard and the Local Police and, in addition, especially on such important days as the holding of an Election.
Voters in La Rioja
On the other hand, he has reported on the data of voters in La Rioja: in the Local Elections, 237,258 people will be able to vote and in the Autonomous Region, 251,859, distributed as follows:
- CER (Electoral Census of Residents): are the Rioja citizens who live in La Rioja and can vote in all elections, if they meet the requirements. In total, there are 234,207 people in these elections -598 more than in 2019-, 111,034 in Logroño -756 less than in 2019- and 121,819 in the rest of the Autonomous Community -1,354 more than in 2019-.
Since the 2019 Local Elections, there are 11,373 minors who have been able to vote for the first time after reaching the age of 18.
- CERA (Electoral Census of Absentee Residents): are the Rioja and Rioja people who live abroad and can vote in all elections, except in local elections, since they are registered in another country. There are 17,652 people -1,405 more than in 2019-: 8,022 from Logroño -914 more than in 2019- and 9,630 from the rest of municipalities -512 more than in 2019-.
For the first time, the ballot papers have been sent to all Rioja citizens residing abroad, while in 2019 only 810 expressed their intention to vote. The votes cast will be forwarded to the Autonomous Electoral Board for final scrutiny in the Autonomous Elections.
- CERE (Census of Foreigners Residing in Spain): are the foreign people who will be able to vote in these electoral processes. In the Municipal Elections, all persons residing in Spain who, without having acquired Spanish nationality, enjoy the right to vote:
- Have the status of citizens of the European Union.
- Meet the requirements required for Spaniards to be a voter.
- They have expressed their willingness to exercise the right to vote actively in Spain.
In addition, foreigners residing in Spain whose respective countries allow the Spanish to vote in their own Elections, under the terms of a Treaty, are included. Currently, these countries are Bolivia, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Korea, Ecuador, Iceland, Norway, New Zealand, Paraguay, Peru, United Kingdom and Trinidad and Tobago, being the United Kingdom the only one that has been incorporated since the previous Local Elections on the occasion of Brexit (1/2/2020).
In these elections there are a total of 3,051 citizens -17 more than in 2019-: 816 of Logroño -72 less than in 2019- and 2,235 in the rest of the Community -89 more than in 2019-.
- ERTA (Spanish Residents Temporarily Absent): they are a part of the CER composed of the citizens of La Rioja who, residing in La Rioja, are temporarily outside the Community. Therefore, they can also vote in the Venues and their vote is sent to the corresponding electoral table as a vote by mail. They are a total of 36 people, all applications being accepted.
As for the possibility of voting by post, it has been requested by a total of 10,289 Rioja and Rioja included in the CER - of which 10,247 have been accepted -, by the 17,652 ex officio of the CERA, by 71 of the CERE - of which 59 have been accepted - and by the 36 temporarily absent Rioja who have requested it.
The total amounts to 27,994 possible postal voters, much higher than in 2019 when there were 10,300 (an increase of 172%). This increase is due to the change in the CERA voting process, since, since October 4, 2022, after the entry into force of the reform of the regulation of the exercise of the vote by Spaniards living abroad, it is no longer necessary to request the vote as a prior step for their exercise.
If the CERA vote is not considered, the number of possible postal votes increases from 9,490 in 2019 to 10,342 in 2023, with an increase of 852 voters, that is, 9%.
NUMERIC SUMMARY ABOUT ELECTORS
- Resident Electoral Census (CER): 234,207
- Spanish Electoral Census Residing Abroad (CERA): 17.652
- Census of Foreigners Residing in Spain (CERE): 3.051
- Spanish Census of Temporarily Absent Residents (ERTA): 36
- Total Census voters Local Elections (CER –which includes ERTA +CERE): 237,258
- Total Census voters Autonomous Elections (CER+CERA): 251,859
- New voters for reaching the age of 18:
- 10.153 since the November 2019 Generals.
- 11,373 from the May 2019 Venues.
- Accepted Postal Vote Applicants: 27.994
- CER: 10.247
- WAX: 17.652
- CERE: 59
- ERTA: 36