Catalan separatists seen jointly winning majority in regional election - TV3 poll

The Socialist party was seen getting more votes than any other party, but behind ERC in terms of seats, with 34-36 regional lawmakers. The far-right Vox was seen getting 6-7 lawmakers, getting seats in Catalonia's regional parliament for the first time.

Separatist parties looked set to win enough votes to keep a majority of seats in Catalonia's regional parliament, according to an opinion poll published by TV3 as polling stations closed on Sunday. The election gauged the strength of the Spanish region's pro-independence movement, in an era dominated by the coronavirus crisis rather than separatist sentiment.

Even if official results confirm that the election is won by the separatist parties already in power in Catalonia, it is unlikely to lead to any repeat of the chaotic, short-lived declaration of independence in late 2017. The leftist Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya would get 36-38 seats in the 135-seat assembly, while the centre-right Junts would get between 30 and 33, the opinion poll showed. Far-left separatist party CUP would get seven seats.

The survey was conducted by GAD3 pollsters through 8,000 phone calls throughout the campaign, with the number of calls intensifying as the campaign got closer to election day. The Socialist party was seen getting more votes than any other party, but behind ERC in terms of seats, with 34-36 regional lawmakers.

The far-right Vox was seen getting 6-7 lawmakers, getting seats in Catalonia's regional parliament for the first time. It is already the third-largest party in Spain's national parliament. Official results are expected to trickle in through the evening, with no clear picture of the outcome before at least 2100 GMT, and possibly later because of delays due to the pandemic.

Earlier in the day, election monitors swapped their face masks for full-body PPE, including suits, masks, visors, goggles and black bin bags tied around their feet during the final hour of voting - dubbed "the zombie hour" - a time slot reserved for people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. Other pandemic precautions during the day included temperatures taken on arrival, separate entrances and exits, hand gel on tap and floor markings to ensure social distancing.