Voting starts in Spain's repeat election, fragmented result expected

CATALONIA QUESTION

Violent protests last month in the restive northeastern region of Catalonia have overshadowed the campaign, delivering a boost to the right, and in particular to Vox and the PP, whose fiercely anti-separatist rhetoric has struck a chord with many voters.

Lucia Rodríguez-Jurado, an 18-year old student, said she planned to vote for Vox because she saw it as the only party that can defend national sovereignty.

"We just want the problem in Catalonia to end and for national unity to be restored," she said.

Polls suggest that support for Vox could as much as double, even if pollsters have struggled to estimate the new party's popularity.

The overall result is likely to be very close, leaving the door open to several possible configurations or even a repeat election.

The number of votes submitted by post has dropped by nearly 27% compared with April, the government said on Saturday, in a potential sign that voter fatigue could translate into higher abstention.

Wary of a repeat of last month's riots, Madrid has sent 2,500 additional national police officers to reinforce Catalonia's regional police force.

In total more than 92,000 police will be deployed across Spain to safeguard the vote.