Halfway through the electoral day, Extremadurans left participation data that reduces by almost six points those recorded in the 2023 elections. At two o’clock in the afternoon, 35.76% of those questioned had gone to the polls, compared to 41.65% collected in previous censuses. We will have to wait until six o’clock in the afternoon this Sunday to know if the new cut, before schools close, reveals a consolidated drop or if the data recovers.
Extremadura generally achieves high participation which rarely falls below 70%. In 2019 it remained at 69.3% and in 2023 it reached 70.35% of the census. But this is the first time that the region has organized its elections for the Regional Assembly separately, without municipal or national candidates competing, after an advanced call due to the impossibility of approving budgets. Nearly 891,000 voters are called to the polls, including 27,000 for the first time, the polling stations will close at 8 p.m.
The candidates encouraged participation in the polling stations where they went to vote, just like the popular María Guardiola, whom all polls show as the winner. His opponent, the socialist Miguel Ángel Gallardo, recently complained about this Christmas call, which he said was scheduled during public holidays so that people would not go to vote. This unforeseen date, however, brought national attention to Extremadura’s appeal like never before.
The cold wave that affected the entire country this Sunday was also noticeable in Extremadura, where the first snow fell in the highest towns, such as Piornal or the Sierra de El Torno (Cáceres). Weather plays a major role in voter turnout, especially in a region like Extremadura, with a very elderly population that low temperatures can dissuade from going to the polls.
The spokesperson for the Government of Extremadura, Elena Manzano, communicated the participation data on a day that has so far had practically no incidents. The tables were set to open at nine in the morning, as planned, and only two attempted thefts in two post offices, which the Civil Guard is investigating, were mentioned. The first took place around 6:45 a.m., in Malpartida de Cáceres, where guards confirmed that no objects or amounts were stolen and that postal voting was not affected. The second occurred in Alagón del Río (Cáceres), where the vandals were unable to open the door of the post office, but entered the town hall (an annex building) and stole a small, but undetermined, amount of money.
All control data in detail
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