The Spanish Confederation of Travel Agencies (CEAV) has raised a formal inquiry to the Central Electoral Board to establish common criteria regarding the possibility of exempting individuals with booked trips for the upcoming November 29 from serving on an electoral board. At the same time, UNAV-Fetave argues that trips reserved prior to receiving the notification of designation should be accepted as a justified excuse, provided that the circumstances can be verified, as both associations have indicated to Europa Press.
CEAV emphasizes that it is essential to offer legal certainty to both clients and the travel agencies themselves and to avoid doubts regarding vacations that, in many cases, have been purchased several months in advance. The employers' association demands that a uniform criterion be adopted, in line with what was applied in the general elections of July 23, 2023.
In that process, the Central Electoral Board decided on June 8 that trips contracted beforehand could be considered a justified cause for not attending an electoral board when their cancellation would result in economic harm or serious disruption. That resolution was limited exclusively to those elections and to trips purchased before the electoral call.
The president of UNAV-Fetave, César Gutiérrez, has indicated that the organization shares the concern about the consequences that the obligation to attend an electoral board may have for citizens who already have a booked trip.
Gutiérrez recalled that Fetave-UNAV had already brought this issue before the Central Electoral Board in May 2023 and that at that time it expressed its disagreement with the temporary restriction set, understanding that trips contracted before receiving the notification to be part of an electoral board should also be considered.
As explained by its president, the organization's position is that this matter should be addressed through a stable, general, and permanent criterion, thus avoiding having to reopen the discussion at each new election.
UNAV-Fetave admits that participation in electoral boards is a civic obligation, but argues that it must be made compatible with the protection of those who have legitimately booked a trip and could face significant economic damage if forced to cancel it.
For this reason, the organization proposes that trips booked prior to the notification of designation may be considered a justified cause for excuse, provided that the circumstances are documented and, at the same time, the proper establishment of the electoral tables is ensured.