A polling station in Mallorca moved eight of its nine polling stations outside after the room became “unbearably hot”, state television TVE reported. Local media sporadically reported fainting among elderly people who came to vote.
Electoral participation in Spain falls compared to 2019
About 53% of the votes had been cast at 6:00 p.m. (1600 GMT), below the 56.85% registered at the same time in the previous November 2019 elections, according to data from the Ministry of the Interior. Another 2.47 million people — about 7% of those eligible to vote — voted by mail before Sunday.
Local media commentators noted that long queues formed earlier than usual. Most voters said their motive was to beat the heat.
“I have always voted early,” an old man told TVE. “Less heat and more coffee!”.
In a video posted on Twitter, a man showed up to vote in southern Malaga wearing a snorkel, flippers and a Hawaiian shirt in protest at being asked to vote at a time when around a quarter of Spaniards are regularly on vacation.
In Barcelona, some arrived in swimsuits and flip-flops.
“The beach can wait,” José, an administrator who did not want to give his last name, told Reuters. “I’m leaving now, I already voted and I’ve been calm,” he added, after voting.
“I want the Spaniards to decide freely, as we are deciding today, despite the weather conditions and all adversities. (…) Spain is capable of voting on July 23 and beating the temperatures, beating travel and beating vacations,” said a blushing Alberto Núñez Feijóo, from the Popular Party, while voting in Madrid.