At 7 am, Spaniards went to the polls to cast their vote in the in repeated Parliamentary elections. The results can be expected around 9 pm. Voters can choose between several political parties, as the historical elections of last year led to the breakthrough of two new political forces: Unidos Podemos (formerly Podemos) and the Ciudadanos (Citizens), which have challenged the former monopoly of the People's Party (PP) and the Socialists (PSOE). The conservative People's Party (PP) is tipped to win, but again to fall short of a parliamentary majority. This time, however, the next position is expected to be taken by the radical left-wing Unidos Podemos alliance, which made an alliance with Alberto Garzón's United Left (IU). 

This repeated election took place due to the fact the four main parties failed to form a coalition after last year December's general election. It resulted in a hung parliament. Skeptics argue that today's elections still won’t make it possible to reach a majority in parliament. Elections in Spain often result in either a majority win for the PP or the PSOE.

The UK's referendum vote on Thursday to leave the European Union has cast a shadow over Spain's election. Pablo Iglesias, the leader of Unidos Podemos, said Europe had to "change course", adding: "No-one would want to leave Europe if it were fair and united."

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