The participation of the Spanish in the first half of the election day of this 9J, in which the 61 deputies in the European Parliament that correspond to the country for the next five years are decided, stands at 28.01% at 2:00 p.m. This figure represents a drop of about seven percentage points compared to the same figure from the previous European elections that were held in 2019 and which was 34.74%. Something that should not be surprising considering that in the previous meeting the European ones coincided with the regional and municipal ones. However, the indicator is four points above the 2014 elections.

This data, however, does not present a homogeneous distribution throughout the territory, while in Catalonia -almost a month ago I voted for you for the presidency of the Generalitat- and Extremadura the drop in participation is greater than ten points Compared to the previous European electoral event, the Community of Madrid only sees this indicator drop by just over three points. In fact, it is the one that presents the best data in these terms, since in none of the Spanish regions is there an increase in participation. In the rest, the decreases are between six and seven points.

This indicator in any type of electoral event depends, to a large extent, on the importance to voters. In general, at the community level, participation in European elections has been growing, although the figures used in this type of election are usually lower than those of other elections, at least in Spain. Although it is true that a factor that greatly influences these figures is the coincidence with other types of elections such as regional or municipal elections, as happened in 2019.

Despite the fact that this time it does not coincide with another electoral event and the drop in the electorate confirmed at 2:00 p.m., there was a trend of increasing voter involvement in the European elections. According to the GAD3 survey published on May 28, 51% of Spaniards consider that the European elections are more important than the general elections, while 37% of those surveyed consider that they are equally important. Only 9% see them as less relevant, and 3% prefer not to answer.

Quiet election day

A few minutes after eight in the morning, the polling stations in Spain were setting up all their tables with total normality in a day that has continued like this until now. However, some Andalusian polling stations, specifically six, will extend their hours between ten and 58 minutes per minor technical incidents.

Politicians from all parties have come to these electoral premises, regardless of their color and ideology, have made a call for mass voting, since it is at the polls where the future of Europe and Spain is decided. One of the first has been the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, who after having exercised his right to vote and not forgetting his DNI as on other occasions, has appeared before the media and then left with his wife Begoña Gómez, who He has also approached the polling station.

In his statement, the socialist wanted to emphasize the importance of this electoral event, since “that vote is for the crisis of the future” which he says will be “peace” or “retreat.” An intervention that has not pleased the leader of Vox, Santiago Abascal, who has already announced that he will denounce this “rally” of Sánchez before the Central Electoral Board (JEC).

Abascal says that this gesture shows that “we are facing an autocrat who knows no limits”. Of course, both agree on making a massive call to vote. Socialist ministers such as María Jesús Montero or Félix Bolaños have also spoken along these lines, who have not hesitated to boast of vote with your ‘left hand’.

The popular ones also encourage citizens to go to their polling station this Sunday. Its national leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has voted in a Madrid school as far as He has been accompanied by the mayor of the city, the popular José Luis Martínez Almeida.

After some moments of tension due to technical problems, the Galician was able to speak to the journalists who were in the venue and to whom he assured that it is time for the Spaniards to give “an answer to this situation”in reference to the management of the Executive led by Sánchez.

It is forbidden to talk about national politics

Despite the fact that this Monday in Catalonia the constitution of the Board of its Parliament is celebrated after the 12M elections, no one has wanted to talk about it because “These are the European elections”, has assured the socialist candidate, Teresa Ribera, as well as her party colleague and leader of the PSC, Salvador Illa. Dolors Montserrat, head of the Popular Party list, who went to vote first thing in the morning with his mother, has not spoken about the matter either.

However, some have made reference to the war issues that are being experienced internationally. For example, the President of the Government has highlighted the good management that is being carried out in the face of the war in Ukraine by the European Union. As for Palestine, the Comuns-Sumar candidate for the European Parliament, Jaume Asens, has appealed to all those who “have Palestine in their hearts” to fill the ballot boxes. “with hope and freedom.”

“Hope” is precisely the term that the second vice president and leader of Sumar, Yolanda Díaz, used when leaving the Madrid electoral college that corresponded to her. He was referring to the “Europe of hope” that a vote must be taken to avoid “cuts and austerity policies.” For her part, the pink party candidate, Estrella Galán, has asked to wait for the results to talk about possible agreements in the European Parliament.

Complaints before the Electoral Boards

As mentioned a few lines above, Abascal will speak before the Central Electoral Board (JEC) the “rally” that Sánchez has held after going to vote during the electoral campaign, but there are other issues for which it has been resorted to in these elections.

On the one hand, the municipal delegation of Sumar in Murcia has reported to this body that the city council “prevents the secret vote” in the municipality, because as indicated since the formation of Díaz, instructions have been given to the Presidencies “to that ballots are not allowed inside the booths of voting which is contrary to what is established in the electoral law”.

Furthermore, the Animalist Party with the Environment (PACMA) has denounced that in several polling stations throughout Spain the ballots of their formation are torn, hidden and covered by those of other parties, and even directly not found, some incidents that he described as “serious.”