Four paid hours to vote and campaign leave for candidates

Public employees of the State Administration in Castilla y León may have up to four paid free hours within their working schedule to exercise their right to vote next Sunday, November 29, 2026. This is established by the circular of the Government Delegation in Castilla y León published in the Official Gazette of Castilla y León (BOCYL) number 203, of October 20, 2026, with official reference BOCYL-D-20102026-203-17. The regulation specifies the rules of the election day for State civil servants and contractual staff in the community.

The call stems from Royal Decree 806/2026, of October 5, on the dissolution of the Congress of Deputies and the Senate and the call for general elections, published in the Official State Gazette on October 6, 2026. The framework for the permits is Article 13 of Royal Decree 605/1999, of April 16, on the complementary regulation of electoral processes, which obliges administrations to adopt the necessary measures so that their personnel can vote.

The Delegation acts in the exercise of the competencies regarding permits attributed to it by Article 11 of Royal Decree 2169/1984, of November 28, developing Law 30/1984, of August 2, on Measures for the Reform of the Public Service, and Article 13.5 of the aforementioned Royal Decree 605/1999. The text is addressed to both civil servants and contractual staff, including those included in the IV Single Collective Agreement for the contractual staff of the General State Administration (Resolution of May 13, 2019, of the General Directorate of Labor).

Four paid hours and postal voting

The first section of the circular recognizes up to four paid free hours during the working schedule on election day. When the service is provided on a reduced schedule, the permit will be reduced proportionally.

The second section extends the right to those who work far from their habitual residence or under conditions that hinder voting. In that case, the four hours serve to personally request the certificate of registration in the census and to send the vote by mail, in accordance with Article 72 of Organic Law 5/1985, of June 19, of the General Electoral Regime.

Polling stations, scrutineers, and proxies

The circular details the permits for personnel who participate directly in the election day:

• Presidents and members of polling stations and accredited scrutineers: full-day paid leave on voting day if they do not have their weekly rest, and a five-hour reduction in working hours on the immediately following day (articles 28.1 and 78.4 of Organic Law 5/1985 and article 13.3 of Royal Decree 605/1999).
• Accredited proxies: paid leave during voting day, provided they do not have their weekly rest on that date (article 76.4 of Organic Law 5/1985 and article 13.4 of Royal Decree 605/1999).

Campaign leave for candidates

Public employees running as candidates may be excused from providing service in their units during the electoral campaign, set between November 13 and 27, provided they request it in advance. This measure is supported by article 13.5 of Royal Decree 605/1999, in relation to article 48.j) of Legislative Royal Decree 5/2015, of October 30, which approves the revised text of the Law of the Basic Statute of the Public Employee, and article 75.f) of the IV Single Collective Agreement.

Dissemination across the nine provinces

The final section orders the communication of the circular to the Government Sub-delegations of Ávila, Burgos, León, Palencia, Salamanca, Segovia, Soria, Valladolid, and Zamora, for maximum dissemination within the centers of the General State Administration, and its publication in the BOCYL.

The document was signed in Valladolid on October 15, 2026, by the Government Delegate in Castilla y León, Nicanor Sen Vélez.

The circular affects thousands of state public employees stationed in Castilla y León, who now know a month in advance the hours they will have available on November 29 and the cases in which they may be absent the following day. For candidates, it also sets the deadline for requesting the leave that covers the entire electoral campaign.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla y León, no. 203, of October 20, 2026, section II.A, pp. 76-77 (official reference: BOCYL-D-20102026-203-17).