Asturias regulates paid leave to vote on November 29

The Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias publishes this Monday, November 9, 2026, the resolution by which the Department of Science, Industry, and Employment regulates, within the Asturian territory, the granting of leave to workers to exercise their right to vote in the elections for the Congress of Deputies and the Senate called for Sunday, November 29, 2026. The regulation, signed by Councilor Borja Sánchez García, establishes the criteria “following a prior agreement with the Government Delegation” and affects all companies and workforces in the region.

The resolution, dated October 30, 2026, with official reference 2026-09106, is based on Article 13 of Royal Decree 605/1999, of April 16, regarding the complementary regulation of electoral processes. The calling of the elections was carried out via Royal Decree 806/2026, of October 5, 2026 (BOE no. 248, of October 6). The text reminds that companies must adopt “the relevant internal measures” so that those who do not enjoy the weekly rest on November 29 can vote, with leave that “shall not exceed 4 hours” and “shall always be paid,” in accordance with Article 37.3.d) of the Workers’ Statute (Royal Legislative Decree 2/2015, of October 23).

Leave according to schedule overlap

The Asturian regulation specifies the duration of the leave based on how many hours of the workday overlap with the opening of the polling stations, applying Articles 13.1 and 13.2 of Royal Decree 605/1999:

• Workers whose schedule does not overlap with the opening of polling stations, or overlaps for less than two hours: no right to paid leave.
• Overlap of two or more hours and less than four: paid leave of up to two hours.
• Overlap of four or more hours and less than six: leave of up to three hours.
• Overlap of six or more hours: leave of up to four hours.

The resolution further specifies that companies may request the worker to present the voucher issued by the corresponding Polling Station for the purpose of payment for the time spent voting.

Mail-in voting and part-time schedules

Those who must work on November 29 far from their usual residence, or under conditions that hinder voting, may substitute that leave for another of an identical nature intended to personally request the certification proving registration in the census—Article 72 of Organic Law 5/1985, of June 19, on the General Electoral Regime—and to send the vote by mail. The duration will be calculated using the same brackets, but referring to the opening hours of the Correos (Post Office) offices, and must be granted with the advance notice provided for in Articles 72 and 73.3 of the LOREG.

In the case of part-time contracts with working hours lower than the usual hours for the activity, the leave will be reduced in proportion to the ratio between their working hours and those of full-time workers in the same company.

Polling station members, scrutineers, and proxies

The second section regulates the leave for those acting in the electoral process, in accordance with articles 13.3 and 13.4 of Royal Decree 605/1999:

• Presidents, Members, and Scrutineers of polling stations: paid leave for the entire working day of the voting date, if they do not enjoy their weekly rest on that day, plus a reduction of five hours in the immediately following working day.
• Proxies: leave is limited to the working day of the voting date, also conditional on not enjoying the weekly rest.

For night shift schedules, the resolution refers to the Agreement of the Central Electoral Board of October 30, 2019 (no. 655/2019), which interprets article 28.1 of the LOREG: the night shift starting on Saturday is counted as the working day of the election day, and the five-hour reduction may be exercised in the following night shift, provided it begins on the day immediately following the elections. The agreements of June 9, 2004, and November 3, 2011, are also cited.

Impact for companies and staff

The resolution is published barely twenty days before the electoral date and transfers to Asturian companies the obligation to organize shifts and breaks to accommodate these leaves, which are paid and non-recoverable. For workers, the text clarifies by time slots how long they may be absent and what documentation they must provide, and extends coverage to those who vote by mail or work away from their home on the day of the elections.

Source: Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias, no. 216 of November 9, 2026, section I. Principality of Asturias — Other Provisions, pp. 1-2 (official reference: 2026-09106).