In & Out at the polling booth

We try to keep our promises, though we have missed a few (there's a song in there somewhere) but here is the last of our short series on the upcoming local elections NEXT SUNDAY, the other items about which you can see by clicking on each of them on the sidebar under the same logo as the one illustrating this one. Here we present the full procedure at the polling station, with a touch of humour to keep things on an even keel. (See also: Are you going to vote? Can you vote?, Campo de Gibraltar candidate lists, Get to know your ballot paper.)

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How to vote - the full procedure

1. Armed with your voting card, and photo identification (passport, DNI) proceed thoughfully to your voting station.

2. Find the Mesa (table) number (on your card) and identify yourslef to the person sitting behind the big box.

3. You will be pointed toward a booth. Proceed even more thoughfully.

4. On the table in the booth you will see envelopes and several long pices of paper that contain the candidate lists for each party.

5. DO NOT WRITE ANYTHING AT ALL ANYWHERE, PARTICULARLY ON THE PAPER BEFORE YOU!

6. Choose your party list, fold it in two, and introduce it into the envelope. (If you are voting in a local election, the evelope will say 'CONCEJALES' (Councillors) - if in your region there is also a regional election, you will need a second envelope and another pile of lists)

7. Return to your Mesa and introduce your envelope -sealed or unsealed, it doesn't matter- into the Big Box (a.k.a. an urn). You no longer have to look thoughful unless you are still thinking about it.

8. Head for the nearest bar or go straight home to recover. You have done your civic duty. Congratulations.