Polling stations have opened this Sunday at 9:00 AM in Andalusia for decisive regional elections. More than 6.8 million Andalusians are called to the polls to elect the 109 deputies of the Andalusian Parliament for the XIII legislature. Voting will continue until 8:00 PM, at which point the provisional count will begin.
The day begins with a central question: whether Juanma Moreno will manage to repeat the absolute majority of the PP-A or if he will need Vox to remain at the head of the Junta. The key barrier is 55 seats, the figure that marks the absolute majority in the Andalusian Chamber. In 2022, the PP won 58 deputies, the PSOE-A obtained 30, Vox 14, Por Andalucía 5, and Adelante Andalucía 2.
Andalusia votes this 17M with Moreno's absolute majority as the big unknown
The opening of polling stations marks the beginning of a day of high political tension. The PP-A goes to the polls with Juanma Moreno as the favorite to win the elections, but the real test will be whether he manages to maintain a sufficient majority to govern alone. If he does not reach 55 deputies, Vox could become a decisive player for the investiture.
The PSOE-A, with María Jesús Montero as candidate, is playing for the possibility of halting its decline in Andalusia and recovering part of the progressive vote that stayed home in previous regional elections. Participation will be one of the first indicators to measure whether that electorate mobilizes or if the day favors the most loyal voters again.
To the right of the PP, Manuel Gavira aspires for Vox to be essential in the next legislature. To the left of the PSOE, Antonio Maíllo and José Ignacio García compete to lead the alternative space with Por Andalucía and Adelante Andalucía.
Voting hours: from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Polling stations will remain open from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Those inside the polling station at closing time will be able to vote, even if it is already past eight in the evening. Poll workers were required to report at 8:00 AM and formally constitute the polling stations before the start of voting.
To vote, it is necessary to identify yourself with an official document with a photograph, such as a DNI, passport, or driver's license. An expired DNI is valid as long as it is original and allows the voter's identity to be verified; photocopies or renewal receipts are not accepted.
Those who have voted by mail will not be able to vote again in person. Their vote will be incorporated into the count at the corresponding polling station when voting closes.
Three participation updates during the day
The Junta de Andalucía will offer three participation updates during the day: at 11:30 AM, 2:00 PM, and 6:00 PM. Subsequently, these data will be explained in public appearances scheduled for 12:00 PM, 2:30 PM, and 6:30 PM.
The first figure will serve to take the initial temperature of the day, but the most relevant will be those at 2:00 PM and, above all, 6:00 PM. In standalone regional elections, without the pull of general or municipal elections, participation can be decisive.
In 2022, 58.36% of the electorate voted, a low figure that favored a clear absolute majority for the PP. This Sunday, any significant increase or decrease in participation may alter the political interpretation of the night.
What is being decided at the polls
Andalusians are electing the 109 seats of the regional Parliament this Sunday. Seville distributes 18 deputies; Málaga, 17; Cádiz, 15; Granada, 13; Almería and Córdoba, 12 each; and Huelva and Jaén, 11 each.
That provincial distribution will be key because the majority can be decided in the last seats. Córdoba, Málaga, Cádiz, Granada, and Seville will be some of the most closely watched provinces during the count. A handful of votes can move a deputy and change the absolute majority.
The night will not be read solely in total votes. It will be read in remainders, provinces, and investiture blocs.
Where to follow the results live
Provisional results can be consulted from the closing of polling stations, at 8:00 PM, on the official website enabled by the Junta de Andalucía for these elections. They can also be followed through the official 17M application, with data on participation, counting, and seat distribution.
The election night will truly begin at 8:00 PM, but the first clue will arrive much earlier: in participation. There it will be known if Andalusia votes with a low pulse, with strong mobilization, or with sufficient tension to make every remainder decisive.
Candidates vote between Málaga, Seville, and Cádiz
Juanma Moreno will vote in Málaga, the province for which he heads the PP-A list. María Jesús Montero will do so in Seville, where Antonio Maíllo will also vote. Manuel Gavira and José Ignacio García will exercise their right to vote in the province of Cádiz.
The five closed the day of reflection this Saturday with private agendas and arrive at 17M with very different objectives: Moreno seeks to govern alone, Montero tries to reactivate the PSOE-A, Gavira aspires to influence the Government, Maíllo wants to consolidate Por Andalucía, and García seeks for Adelante Andalucía to make a political leap.