It was 09:00 hours when the polling stations in Andalusia opened their doors ready to receive the thousands of voters called to participate today in the regional elections. The day started with some minor incidents, several anecdotes from the start of the day, and a first participation update that points to a slight decrease compared to the 2022 elections.
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One of the most talked-about moments of this first hour took place in Málaga, where the city mayor, Francisco de la Torre (PP), initially could not find his party’s ballot in the booth, a circumstance he described as a “coincidence.” Additionally, he found a “duplicate of another ballot” at the same point, although these issues were resolved without major problems.
Thus, the mayor of the capital of Málaga ruled out any “intentionality” in what happened and acknowledged that he had not conducted a “global review” of all the ballots, although he took the opportunity to invite a “review in case there was any oversight.” In any case, the episode remained just another anecdote at the start of the day, without major impact on the voting process, and the mayor took the opportunity to call for citizen mobilization.
Delay in the closing of three polling stations
Beyond this episode, the morning proceeded normally, but with some delays in the establishment of tables that forced adjusting the closing time in several polling stations. The Electoral Board authorized punctual extensions to ensure that all voters can exercise their right without setbacks.
In El Puerto de Santa María (Cádiz), a table at CEIP La Florida will keep voting open until 20:10 hours following delays recorded early in the day. In Seville, the most significant case occurred at CEIP Azahares, in East Seville, where delays affected six tables and led to extending the closing time until 20:43 hours, the latest of the day.
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Also in Málaga, CEIP Constitución saw voting extended until 20:14 hours due to similar incidents. In all cases, the electoral boards emphasize that these measures aim to ensure that no one is left without voting due to initial delays.
Participation updates at 11:30: participation drops 0.34 points compared to 2022
Meanwhile, the first official participation update, provided at 11:30 by councilor Sanz, places participation at 15.10% of the census, with 99.99% of the tables already reported. The figure reflects a decrease of 0.34 points compared to 2022, although with differences between provinces.
By territories, Almería records 16.68% (+0.17), Cádiz 13.58% (+0.02), and Huelva stands out as the province with the highest increase, with 13.24% (+1.02). On the opposite side, decreases are recorded in Córdoba, with participation of 16.48% (-0.87), Granada with 16.07 (-0.75), Jaén with 15.64% (-1.33), Málaga with 15.03% (-0.59), and Seville, which records participation of 14.95% (-0.13).
With this start, the day proceeds normally and without significant incidents, although with eyes on the evolution of participation, especially after this first downward figure compared to 2022. The next official update will arrive at 14:30 hours, key to see if the trend holds or changes as the day progresses.
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