Early elections in Spain began at 9:00 local time and have 100% of polling stations set up. Of the total number of voters, 2.3 million who are abroad are also authorized to vote. The elections will determine if Pedro Sánchez, of the socialist party (PSOE), can continue at the head of the Government. The vast majority of polls predict a victory for the right-wing Popular Party (PP), led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo. However, it is expected that he will not achieve an absolute majority.
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Spain goes to the polls this Sunday, July 23, in an atypical early general election. In the midst of the scorching heat that has occurred in recent days in the country, the citizens elect the new composition of the Congress of Deputies and the Senate, who will in turn elect the next president of the Spanish Government.
On this occasion, the The elections were called by the current socialist president Pedro Sánchez, after his party obtained unfavorable results on May 29 in the municipal and regional elections.
Sánchez seeks to revalidate his mandate for four more years. However, the polls show the right-wing Alberto Núñez Feijóo in the lead, with polls that predict that he will not achieve an absolute majority either, leaving it unknown whether the PP could ally with the far-right VOX party, led by Santiago Abascal.
A scenario of this style, with a far-right party, has not been seen since the return to democracy after the dictatorship of Francisco Franco in the 1970s.
On the other side of the political spectrum is the formation of the left, gathered in SUMAR, led by Yolanda Díaz, who could also serve Sánchez in votes.
Below, follow the most relevant events of this election day:
- BOG (4:30) What do the Spanish choose this Sunday?
Spain chooses this Sunday who will occupy the 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies. Those elected must in turn determine who will be the new president of the Government.
According to the results of these votes, it will be observed if a party can govern alone —for which the majority plus one should win, that is, 176 seats—, or if they will have to establish alliances until the Lower House endorses a presidential candidate by a simple majority.
This time, the elections mainly face the socialist party (PSOE) led by the current president Pedro Sánchez; and the conservative Popular Party (PP), with Alberto Núñez Feijóo at the helm. The two seek to govern alone, but the polls point to the contrary.
In fact, the vast majority of polls have given the PP as the favorite to win the largest number of votes, although without the possibility of achieving an absolute majority. For this reason, it is expected that said party would have to ally with the far-right party (VOX), led by Santiago Abascal, if it wants to form a government.
On the other hand, there is the left-wing formation SUMAR, led by Yolanda Díaz, which could form alliances with the PSOE.
- BOG (4:00) The polls opened in the early elections in Spain
The polling stations opened in Spain at 9:00 (local time). Thus, early elections began in which the new composition of the Congress of Deputies and the country’s Senate will be chosen.
A total of 37,469,142 Spaniards are called to go vote. For this, the authorities installed 210,000 polling stations and 59,000 booths.
The elections were called early by Pedro Sánchez after the debacle of his party, the PSOE, in the country’s municipal and regional elections. For that reason, they occur in the middle of an atypical summer.
These are dates on which many of the citizens are on vacation, which is why voting by mail has reached record numbers: 2.47 million citizens used this modality.
With EFE and Reuters
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