Spain’s politicians urge high turnout to avoid repeat of December’s inconclusive poll

The leaders of three of the four main parties in Spain’s general election – acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of the Popular Party (PP), Socialist Party (PSOE) leader Pedro Sánchez, and Pablo Iglesias of the Podemos-United Left coalition Unidos Podemos – voted early in Madrid on Sunday morning, urging the electorate to turn out en masse.

In Barcelona meanwhile, acting Interior Minister Jorge Fernández Díaz, the PP’s candidate in the Catalan capital, and who finds himself at the center of a scandal over a leaked telephone conversation in which he appears to approve ordering investigations into leading Catalan pro-independence politicians, faced critics and supporters at his local polling station.

Overall, voting has begun largely without incident throughout the country

Also in Barcelona, Albert Rivera, the leader of Ciudadanos, which along with Podemos has emerged as a major force in Spanish politics over the last two years, voted early, calling for what he called “moderate people” to turn out to vote.

Carles Puigdemont, the head of the regional government of Catalonia, also called on the electorate to vote, while Gabriel Rufián, the candidate for the Catalan Republican Left party, called on voters to defend the interests of the region.

In Madrid, Albert Garzón, the Unidos Podemos candidate in the capital, and Mayor Manuela Carmena were among the first voters. “The important thing is that as many people as possible vote and that there is a government soon,” said Carmena.

While refusing to comment on whether this Sunday’s elections will be a repeat of the December 20 poll that produced a six-month stalemate, and thus lead to a third election, Carmena expressed the importance of a high voter turnout if a government is to emerge after today’s vote. “A high turnout will bring change,” said Garzón.

In the Basque Country, Íñigo Urkullo, the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) head of the regional government, along with Socialist Party challenger Patxi López, said they expected a high turnout in the northeastern region. The head of the Canary Islands regional administration, Fernando Clavijo, said: “Today is a day to vote with our heads and not with our hearts.”

Overall, voting has begun largely without incident throughout the country, although the windows of the Socialist Party’s offices in the north of Córdoba province were broken during the night.

English version by Nick Lyne.