Catalonia election: Voters split over ties with Spain

Thursday’s election could determine Catalonia’s direction for years to come

The people of Catalonia are voting in a closely watched regional election, called by Spain following a controversial independence referendum.

The snap election pits Catalan pro-independence parties against those who want the region to remain a semi-autonomous part of Spain.

All indications are that the result will be very close.

A BBC correspondent says there seems little prospect that the election will solve Catalonia’s political crisis.

Spain dismissed the separatist Catalan government in October after declaring the referendum to be illegal.

The Spanish daily El Pais said on its front page that one million undecided voters could have the last word on Thursday.

Polling stations opened at 09:00 local time (08:00 GMT) and will close at 20:00, with the first official results expected shortly afterwards.

At 13:00 turnout was 34.7%, the Catalan authorities said – slightly below the corresponding figure for the 2015 regional election.

The results and reaction will be covered live on the BBC News website from 17:30 GMT. Most results should have emerged by 21:00 GMT.

No pets allowed – it’s a pooches-at-the-door policy here in the central Barcelona polling station of Casinet d’Hostafrancs, and there must be one dog to every 10 voters.

Early voters queued in their dozens here 20 minutes before polls opened – something I didn’t see in Berlin, Paris or Amsterdam this year for elections elsewhere in Europe. It may point to a record turnout across Catalonia.

Opinion polls predict up to 85% of the 5.3 million eligible voters will turn out today.

In the queue Ana, a student, described today as “the most important election in the history of Catalonia”. When polls close tonight the people, given the legal right to vote this time, will have shown the direction in which they want the independence crisis to play out.

BBC