Spain’s Snap General Election Sees Rise In Turnout, Except In Catalonia

Alberto Nunez Feijoo, candidate of the conservative People's Party (PP), votes in the general elections at Ramiro de Maeztu School on July 23, 2023, in Madrid, Spain. Voters in Spain head to the polls on July 23 to cast their votes and elect Spain's next government. OSCAR J.BARROSO/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES.

After five hours of voting on a sweltering Sunday in Spain, the turnout in the snap general election has risen significantly in the totality of Spain but has fallen by an even greater percentage in Catalonia. 

In Spain at 2pm, the proportion of voters that had cast their votes was 40.46%. In the last elections, held on November 10th, 2019, at the same time, the official turnout was 37.92%, so it has risen by 2.55 points. A total of 14,009,216​ of people have cast their vote across the Spanish state in the five hours of polling since 9am. 

“On the other hand, the turnout in Catalonia in the general election this Sunday until 2pm is 36.77%. In the last general election held on November 10th, 2019, at the same time the participation was 40.58%, so it has dropped by 3.81 points. A total of 1,969,732 Catalan voters have gone to the polls by 2pm this Sunday,” said El Nacional En.

An envelope during Spain’s general elections on July 23, 2023, in Barcelona, Spain. Voters in Spain head to the polls on July 23 to cast their votes and elect Spain’s next government. JAVIER MOSTACERO CARRERA/GETTY IMAGES.

By provinces in Catalonia, Girona is where voter participation has fallen the most compared to 2019, standing at 34.65%, which means a drop of 5.48 points. Followed by Barcelona, where the current turnout is 37.08% (-3.82 points). In Lleida it is 35.06%, and it has dropped 2.78 points, and finally, Tarragona where 37.53% have cast their votes, a drop of 2.67 points.

Voting has also fallen significantly in the Basque Country, where the turnout is 3.00% down at the 2pm count from the percentage at the same time in the last Spanish general election in 2019.

“The final turnout in the November 10th 2019 Spanish general election was 69.96%, although it should be noted that this was a repeat election after the failure to form a government from the vote held in April that year. In the earlier election on April 28th 2019, turnout was 75.75%,” said El Nacional En.

The polls are open until 8pm. Polling has placed the right-wing People’s Party as favourite to finish first in the election, with the likelihood that it will need to form a pact with far-right Vox in order to form a government. 

Produced in association with El Nacional En

Edited by Judy J. Rotich and Newsdesk Manager