Fluctuating turnout in some regions on Spain’s election day

BY 2pm on July 23, 40.48 per cent of Spain’s electorate had voted, almost 3 percentage points more than in the 2019 general election.

Participation rose throughout the country, except in Cataluña where it fell by 3.8 per cent, the Basque Region (2.98 per cent less), Madrid (0.16 per cent less) and Melilla.

The biggest increases by 2pm were Extremadura (7.99 per cent), Galicia (7.05 per cent) and Castilla-La Mancha (6.63 per cent).

By 6pm, participation had increased to 53.9 per cent although this was 3.76 percentage points lower than in 2019, when 56.85 per cent of the electorate had voted, according to the latest figures released by the Ministry of the Interior.

None of these figures  take into account the 2.47 million postal votes that have been delivered to the appropriate polling stations and will not be opened and counted until these close at 8pm.

Postal votes this time are double those of the last election, the largest-ever number since postal votes were introduced in 2008.

Officials at polling stations expect an influx just before they close at 8pm when both the temperatures and the sun begin to go down, but late voters could find their plans frustrated by traffic jams.

By 6pm these were obstructing access to the main provincial capitals chiefly on the roads into Madrid, Barcelona and Seville.

Many more people are travelling to the big cities from their second homes on the coast than would be usual on a Sunday at this stage of the summer, the traffic authorities announced.

Madrid saw traffic jams on the A3 entering the city at Arganda del Rey, and also on the A6 at Torrelodones.

Traffic was slow in Barcelona and Sevilla on the C-32 motorway and the AP-4.  There have been no major accidents so far and traffic has been “calm” in the rest of the country.

The situation was expected to remain much the same for the remainder of election day, a spokeswoman for the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) reported.