Free electoral spaces in public media: key deadlines for parties in November 2026

Key data

The parties and political formations running in the general elections of November 29, 2026 have before them the official distribution of free spaces in publicly owned media of national scope. The resolution, signed on November 4, 2026 by the Presidency of the Central Electoral Board (JEC), was published in the BOE on November 5 and entered into force that same day.

The distribution is carried out under article 65 of the LOREG, which requires public media to provide free broadcasting time to candidates during the electoral campaign. The complete details of the distribution are available on the official website of the Central Electoral Board.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution publishes the distribution of free electoral propaganda spaces in publicly owned media of national scope for the elections to the Congress of Deputies and the Senate on November 29, 2026.

In addition to setting the distribution, the resolution establishes a challenge procedure with very strict deadlines:

This is a resolution of procedural nature: it does not modify the LOREG nor introduces new permanent obligations. Its scope is exclusive to the ongoing electoral campaign.

Economic and operational impact

Free spaces in public media have direct economic value for political formations: they represent broadcasting time on national television and radio—mainly RTVE—at no cost to the party. The distribution of those minutes determines the visibility of each candidacy during the campaign.

From an operational perspective, the impact is concentrated in two areas:

• Production of electoral content: campaign teams must have audiovisual materials ready adjusted to the assigned spaces. An unfavorable or incorrect distribution that is not appealed in time cannot be corrected.
• Urgent legal management: the deadline to appeal expires on November 6 at 2:00 PM, less than 48 hours after publication in the BOE. The legal services of the parties must review the distribution immediately.

RTVE, as the main affected public media, also has procedural obligations: it must respond to claims directed at it before 10:00 AM on November 10, 2026.

Who does it affect?

• Parties and political formations with candidacies presented to the general elections of November 29, 2026, both to the Congress of Deputies and the Senate.
• Legal and campaign teams of such formations, responsible for reviewing the assigned distribution and filing appeals if appropriate.
• RTVE and other publicly owned media of national scope, obligated to provide the spaces according to the approved distribution and to respond to claims within the deadline.
• Electoral advisors and political communication consultancies that manage the campaign of any competing formation.

Practical example

A party running in the general elections of November 29 receives notification of its distribution of free spaces on November 5, 2026, the date of publication in the BOE. The legal team reviews the assigned minutes and detects a possible irregularity in the calculation with respect to the previous electoral results that serve as the basis for the distribution.

To challenge that distribution, the party must file the appeal with the JEC Secretariat before 2:00 PM on November 6. If the appeal arrives at 2:01 PM, the JEC will reject it as late and the distribution will become final. The other formations may submit objections to that appeal until 10:00 AM on November 10. RTVE, if it has been the subject of a direct claim, must also respond before that same time on November 10.

The actual operational margin is less than 24 business hours from publication until the deadline for appeals closes: the legal review must begin on November 5 itself.

What should parties do now?

1. Consult the distribution published on the JEC website on November 5 itself: the complete details of the space distribution are available on the official portal of the Central Electoral Board, not in the BOE.
2. Legally review the assignment before November 6 at 2:00 PM: verify that the assigned minutes correspond to the applicable legal criteria (parliamentary representation, previous results, etc.).
3. File an appeal with the JEC Secretariat before 2:00 PM on November 6 if any irregularity is detected. After that deadline, the distribution is unassailable.
4. Prepare objections to appeals from other formations before 10:00 AM on November 10 if any rival party has challenged the distribution and this may affect your own spaces.
5. Coordinate with the audiovisual production team to adapt campaign content to the assigned spaces, without waiting for the resolution of possible appeals.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-23258