Soon we will have local elections and every time this happens you can be randomly selected to go the polls and spend the entire day there, counting votes and making sure all the regulation is followed. Everyone with a Spanish passport, over 18 and with some education (I think that at least you need high school or equivalent) is elligible and the process is random so it could be anyone. If you don't show up at the polls you will be fined and even imprisoned, and they don't accept any excuses like I was sick or I had to go abroad, if you receive that dreadful letter you must go.
I find it ridiculous that even if you don't vote or don't care about politics they force you to participate in the system, at least voting is not mandatory yet. They pay you for being there but it's ridiculous, they give you around 70€ for being there the entire day when you could be doing something much more fun on a Sunday. Supposedly they do it for neutrality when counting votes but I still think it should be done by volunteers with some public servant or police ensuring it's done fairly, that's why we pay taxes for. Or they could simply call people who are unemployed or pensioners, not people with a job/students who just want to enjoy their weekend.
Btw the best way not to go is simply not opening the door to the mailman near election time unless you're expecting it. The letter they send you calling you to the polls is sent on registered post and must be signed, so without signature it's like if you weren't at home therefore you can't know they called you and it's not illegal. It never happened to me but it's a good strategy
I find it ridiculous that even if you don't vote or don't care about politics they force you to participate in the system, at least voting is not mandatory yet. They pay you for being there but it's ridiculous, they give you around 70€ for being there the entire day when you could be doing something much more fun on a Sunday. Supposedly they do it for neutrality when counting votes but I still think it should be done by volunteers with some public servant or police ensuring it's done fairly, that's why we pay taxes for. Or they could simply call people who are unemployed or pensioners, not people with a job/students who just want to enjoy their weekend.
Btw the best way not to go is simply not opening the door to the mailman near election time unless you're expecting it. The letter they send you calling you to the polls is sent on registered post and must be signed, so without signature it's like if you weren't at home therefore you can't know they called you and it's not illegal. It never happened to me but it's a good strategy
