A 29-year-old woman has been fined 720 euros for failing to attend the polling station where she was designated president during the European elections of 2024 in Palma.
The Criminal Court number 8 of Palma has imposed a fine of 720 euros on a resident of the city, aged 29 and of Spanish nationality, for an electoral offence. The woman acknowledged the facts and accepted the penalty in a fast-track trial held at the Vía Alemania headquarters.
The accused was appointed president of a polling station in the school of district 3, section 45, table U, for the European elections on June 9, 2024. Despite receiving the notification, she did not attend nor provided any reason to justify her absence.
The Prosecutor's Office initially requested a penalty of six months of fines at a daily rate of six euros, amounting to a total of 1,080 euros. However, upon acknowledging the charges, the public ministry reduced its request by a third, setting it at four months at six euros daily. The defence accepted the agreement and the judge issued a ruling accordingly.
Electoral Offence Without Mitigating Factors
The ruling, which is now final, establishes that the young woman voluntarily failed to appear for the constitution of the polling station, with no impossibility present. The woman has no criminal record, but did not present any arguments to excuse her absence.
In addition to the 720 euro fine, the sentence includes the payment of legal costs. The parties involved waived their right to appeal, so the resolution is executed immediately.
This type of offence, classified under Article 143 of the Organic Law of the General Electoral Regime, punishes the failure to comply with the obligations of polling station members. Penalties can reach up to one year in prison or fines, although in practice they are usually resolved with financial penalties.
A Warning for Future Elections
The case serves as a reminder to citizens of their obligation to attend polling stations when appointed. The notification is binding and only duly justified force majeure circumstances exempt one from this duty. Those who do not attend without reason face criminal consequences.
In Palma, during the 2024 European elections, several absences were recorded, although most were resolved with last-minute replacements. The conviction of this young woman sets a precedent for the application of the law in the city.
For the upcoming elections, scheduled for 2027, electoral boards remind that those appointed must communicate any impediment well in advance. The judicial route, as demonstrated by this case, does not forgive negligence.
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