The Electoral Board of the Orihuela Zone (JEZ) received more than fifteen telephone complaints following the municipal elections for failing to ensure the secrecy of electors casting their votes.
In all the electoral stations in Torrevieja the ballot papers, of which there were 8 options, and the European elections, for which there were more than 20, were laid out across the tops of tables that were exposed to party representatives and monitors, who were quite easily able to determine the choice of the voter.
In previous years the ballot papers have been placed in curtained booths so that a voter can make his choice without the possibility of being overseen.
In their response JEZ has said that it is a problem was raised not only in Torrevieja, but also by many other municipalities and that the Central Electoral Board subsequently sent an instruction insisting that observers and auditors must not be located near to those tables.
This newspaper has confirmed that many voters complained at the polling stations because this arrangement could not guarantee the secrecy of the vote, with agents and controllers of all the parties aware of the votes being cast by voters.
In Torrevieja there were complaints from the City Council Secretary, as well as many members of the public, that the secrecy of an individual’s vote was not being guaranteed.
Izquierda Unida has contested the results of the Torrevieja elections because it alleges that the secrecy of voting has been violated. The party, which lost its council seat in the local elections, say that they have made the complaint, not because of the result but it is purely because of the violation noted above.
The Electoral Board (formed by three judges) responded by saying that they had previously told the city council that such a large number of ballot papers would not fit into the booths but that they must still ensure confidentiality by whatever means were able.
