Spain's Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez casts his ballot at a polling station in Pozuelo de Alarcon, Spain, Nov. 10, 2019. Spain's polling stations opened on Sunday at 9 a.m. local time (0800 GTM) for the country's fourth general election in four years and the second in 2019 following an inconclusive vote held on April 28. Spanish citizens will elect their representatives in the Cortes Generales, or the Spanish parliament, which is made up by the Congress of Deputies and the Senate. (Photo by Juan Carlos/Xinhua)
MADRID, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Spain's polling stations opened on Sunday at 9 a.m. local time (0800 GTM) for the country's fourth general election in four years and the second in 2019 following an inconclusive vote held on April 28.
Spanish citizens will elect their representatives in the Cortes Generales, or the Spanish parliament, which is made up by the Congress of Deputies and the Senate.
Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the repeat polls after failing to secure support from other parties in the election in April, which saw his Spain Socialist Party (PSOE) win the most votes, but no working majority, in parliament.
Polls, however, suggest this new election will again fail to break the deadlock.
According to the polls, the PSOE will win the most seats, but will once again fall well short of the 176 seats necessary for an overall majority.
Polls also imply a rise in support for the right-wing People's Party (PP) and the extreme right-wing Vox party, but once again with neither getting close to a majority.
The left-wing Unidos Podemos are expected to lose a small number of seats, while voters are predicted to abandon the center-right Ciudadanos party in large numbers, switching their allegiance to the PP and Vox, and perhaps in some cases, the PSOE.
The election is likely to be influenced by the violent protests in October in the Catalan region, which broke out after nine leaders of separatist movements were sentenced to prison for an attempt to break away the region from Spain two years ago.
In addition, these political difficulties have affected the economic growth of Spain. The European Union on Nov. 7 reduced the country's growth forecast from 2.3 percent to 1.9 percent.
Polling stations will close at 8 p.m. local time (1900 GTM) and the result should be known before midnight.
