Real Madrid’s election schedule today: Times, requirements and who can vote

Today is a historic day in Valdebebas. For the first time in 20 years, Real Madrid’s members are being called to the polls to elect a president. It will also mark the first time the vote is held at Ciudad Real Madrid, the club’s northeast-Madrid training complex, which was inaugurated in September 2005. The previous election, held on July 2, 2006, took place in a tent set up along the west side of the Bernabéu.

The decision now rests with roughly 70,000 voting members, who will determine who they trust to steer the club through 2030. Florentino Pérez (79 years old, member No. 1,484) is seeking an eighth term. Enrique Riquelme (37, member No. 41,736) aims to become the 27th president of the most decorated club in the world. The stage is set.

When do the Real Madrid polls open?

The vote will take place in the Ciudad Real Madrid basketball arena, the usual venue for the annual assembly of delegate members. Balloting will run from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time (3:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET). Once polls close, mail-in ballots will be added and counting will begin. The tally could take two to three hours.

All adult members who have held membership for at least one year are eligible to vote. That places the electorate at around 70,000 (as of June 30, 2025, there were 77,798 members over the age of 14, according to the club’s latest Annual Report). The final member eligible to vote is No. 99,989. To cast a ballot, members must present their membership card (mandatory) along with a national ID. A driver’s license, valid passport, or residence permit (for foreign members) can be used in place of the ID.

The club has mobilized a team of more than 200 personnel across security, operations, maintenance, cleaning, and more to ensure the smooth running of an election day that also coincides with Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Madrid. On Saturday, the pontiff openly identified as a Madrid fan when, aboard the plane bringing him to Spain, he was asked whether he supported Los Blancos or their arch rivals, Barcelona.

27 days waiting for the vote

The long-anticipated election day arrives after a surprise announcement on May 12. Florentino Pérez’s mandate was still set to run until January 2029. “I have taken this decision because an absurd situation has been created by campaigns aimed at generating an opinion against the interests of Real Madrid, and especially against me,” Pérez said in a press conference, adding: “I invite anyone who wishes to run to take this opportunity. I will run to defend the interests of Real Madrid’s members.”

Pérez threw down the gauntlet, and Enrique Riquelme accepted the challenge, leading to these presidential elections - the first since 2006. Pérez had been automatically re-elected in the previous five cycles without opposition: 2009, 2013, 2017, 2021, and 2025.

There is a palpable sense of anticipation (125 journalists have been accredited by the club to cover election day) and plenty of uncertainty. With no published polling data, the vote will serve as a barometer of support for the president after 17 uninterrupted years in charge and a disappointing season on the field - no trophies and several tense moments in the stands. An informal, non-scientific poll on AS.com has Pérez leading with 53% of the vote.

Beyond the candidates’ support, attention will also focus on turnout and member mobilization. In the last election, in 2006 - when a court voided mail-in voting two days before the vote - 27,998 of 66,355 eligible members cast ballots (42.2%). Ramón Calderón defeated Juan Palacios by just 246 votes. In the prior vote, in 2004, when Pérez won in a landslide with 94% support, 23,401 members voted in person (35.9%). An additional 7,606 mail-in ballots lifted participation to 47.6%. Two decades on, Real Madrid’s members once again have the final say.

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