First instance body dealing with electoral disputes

• Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General.

• In effect since 21/06/1985 (last update in force since 08/09/2011)

http://www.infoelectoral.mir.es/Normativa/loreg_2011.htm

Artículociento nueve

Pueden ser objeto de recurso contencioso electoral los acuerdos de lasJuntas Electorales sobre proclamaci?n de electos, as? como la elecci?n yproclamaci?n de los Presidentes de las Corporaciones Locales.

Artículo ciento doce

1.                El recursocontencioso electoral se interpone ante la Junta Electoral correspondientedentro de los tres d?as siguientes al acto de proclamaci?n de electos y seformaliza en el mismo escrito en el que se consignan los hechos, losfundamentos de Derecho y la petici?n que se deduzca.

2.                 El Tribunal competente para la resoluci?n delos recursos contencioso-electorales que se refieren a elecciones generales oal Parlamento Europeo es la Sala de lo Contencioso-Administrativo del TribunalSupremo

Article 109

The Electoral Commissions agreements on theproclamation of the elected as well as the election and the proclamation of theLocal Goverments’ Presidents can be subject to an electoral administrativeappeal.

Article 112

1. Theelectoral administrative appeals are to filed before the respective ElectoralCommission (NB Juntas Electorales article 8 Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 dejunio, del Régimen Electoral General) within three days after the proclamationof the elected and it is to be formalized in the same writting in which thefacts, the legal grounds and the requests to be deducted are included.

2.The Court with the jurisdiction for the resolution of electoral administrative appealsconcerning General Elections (N.B. Parliamentary Elections –Congress andSenate-) or European Parliament Elections is the Supreme Court’s AdministrativeDivision.

Role of Central ElectoralCommission in dispute resolution:

The Administraci?n Electoral is a four level system, consisting ofthe Central Election Commission (JuntaElectoral Central), Provincial Election Commissions (Juntas Electorales Provinciales), District or Zone ElectionCommissions (Juntas Electorales de Zona)and Electoral Boards (Mesas Electorales).

In Spain there is a four-tiered structure consisting of a CentralElectoral Commission (CEC), 50 Provincial Election Commissions (PECs), 303District or Zone Election Commissions (DECs) and 59,876 Electoral Boards (2011)(Mesas Electorales). As the majority of election commissioners arejudges, the judiciary plays an important role in the election administration.

The CEC is a permanent body composed of 13 members appointedwithin 90 days following the constitutive sitting of the Chamber of Deputies.Eight CEC members are judges of the Supreme Court and are determined bylottery. The remaining five members are university professors of law, politicalsciences and sociology, appointed by the Chamber of Deputies on a jointproposal of the parties, federations, coalitions or groups of electorsrepresented in this chamber. The President and the Vice-President of the CECare chosen from amongst the judge-members of the CEC.

The members of the CEC cannot be removed. They may only besuspended for criminal offences or electoral infringements by a decisionadopted by an absolute majority of the CEC members.The main responsibilities ofthe CEC include issuance of binding instructions to the PECs, resolution ofcomplaints and appeals, supervision of the activities of the Electoral CensusOffice (Oficina del Censo Electoral), uniform interpretation ofelectoral rules and imposing administrative sanctions for non-criminalelectoral offences.

Both PECs and DECs are temporary bodies, established three daysafter the announcement of the elections. Their mandate expires 100 days afterthe elections. The PECs and the DECs consist of five members, three judges30and two professors31 of law, political sciences and sociology. The PECSecretary is usually the Secretary of the respective Provincial High Court.

EDR system in Spain includes manyinstitutions, including Central Electoral Commission, administrative courts,and Supreme Court. See sources for more information.