Vote under the fan

From early in the morning, rows of people can be seen heading to the 22,562 polling stations open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. This Sunday in July to exercise their right to vote on the 16th. General elections. And the prospect of a hot day on the 23rd galvanized many of the 37,469,142 potential voters called in—some on vacation, some not—to go to the polls fairly early and with fans. The goal: vote under the fan and avoid the central daylight hours and high temperatures expected in much of the country. Schools, most of which lack air conditioning, equipped themselves for the occasion with fans, cooling or air conditioning systems and refrigerators with bottled water so that the 60,314 members of the tables could spend their day to the fullest, as did the voters.

Special pass device It was also available for easy access to large cities, in anticipation of the crowded return from vacation spots. For example, the A-6 entered Madrid loaded at about 11:00 am. And Renfe enabled shuttle buses on the Madrid-Valencia route after a serious accident In the tunnel cut rail traffic in both directions. The collapse affected about 4,000 commuters, including many citizens who were traveling with the intention of reaching their destination to vote.

For the rest, “normal” was the general trend, both in the composition of the tables and in the voting, according to the first assessments made from National Center for Data Dissemination. The first of the candidates to rise was the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, who voted at 9.10am at Madrid’s Nuestra Señora del Buen Consejo and called for “a historic engagement, so that there is strong government and Spain can progress over the next four years”. He was followed by far-right Vox leader Santiago Abascal. Yolanda Diaz (Sumar) went with her daughter at 11:30 am to the Higher Technical School of Mining and Energy Engineers in Madrid, and Alberto Núñez Viejo (PP) voted after 11:30 am to the Ramiro de Maezto School. Despite initially wanting to prevent the media from entering the center where the Leader of the People had voted, they were finally allowed access while Feijóo put his vote in the ballot box. “Whatever Spain talks about will be good for the Spaniards,” he said at first.

As always, and now a classic in election days, Villaroya (La Rioja) was the first municipality to close the polls. Its seven neighbors once again broke their own record, and in just 26 seconds they exercised their right to vote, three seconds short of the municipal elections.

Despite efforts to cool polling stations, in some places such as the Son Pisà School in Palma de Mallorca, the Electoral Board allowed tables with ballot boxes to be moved out to vote on an outdoor balcony in the shade due to the fact that the heat and high influx of people made it impossible to stay inside the rooms set up in the school, according to reports. Lucia Buhorquez. “It is very hot in both rooms because there is no ventilation and we have asked the Electoral Board for permission so that we can take the ballot boxes out onto the balcony,” explained a representative of Sumar Mays. The transfer made it necessary to interrupt the vote for a few minutes in order to move the tables.

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The sound of “clouds” and some newlyweds

a Dragon Queen He came in his best clothes and special make-up to be a member of one of the polling stations set up at the Montserrat polling station in Madrid, to encourage people to enjoy the “Party of Democracy” through their social networks. It consists of shades of blue, with a wig of the same color and a special outfit for the occasion Dragon Queen Onyx made a note of color during these early hours.

Pilar and Luis, newlyweds on Saturday in Granada, went to vote side by side, after a full night of celebration that was capped off with a chocolate con croissant. The couple went to cast their votes at José Hurtado School, in the central district of Realejo.

In some towns where they celebrate patron saint celebrations, there have been incidents with members, as in Santa Marta de Tormes (Salamanca), where the chief developed gastroenteritis and asked to leave. But their replacements came in at 8:00 a.m. “with symptoms of intoxication,” so the chief stayed on. In Arenas de San Pedro (Ávila) something similar happened, one of the members developed symptoms of drunkenness, so the second person who came to vote had to stay at the table, because the first was over the necessary age to be at a table.

Although 100% of polling stations in Andalusia were set up at 9:24 am this Sunday, some incidents were recorded, such as the Chiclana de la Frontera (Cadiz) ward, which was the last to start after only one of its members attended and a medical certificate was absent. Finally, it was the wife of a couple who went to vote who assumed the role, along with another first-time voter. In many Andalusian provinces, the electorate went to the polls and, immediately afterwards, returned to the towel.

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