Nearly two million people had voted on Sunday as polling neared its close in Catalonia's disputed symbolic ballot on independence from Spain, the regional government said. By 6:00 pm (1700 GMT), two hours before polls were due to close, 1,977,531 voters had cast ballots across Catalonia, the region's vice-president Joana Ortega told reporters. Voters of all ages lined up around the block, some applauding, as polling stations opened after weeks of tense legal wrangling with Spanish authorities.
In one of Spain's richest but most indebted regions, a long-standing yearning for independence has swelled over recent years as recession and political corruption scandals have shaken Spain. The desire to break away has been sharpened by resistance from Madrid.
"This is an opportunity we could not miss.... We have been demanding it for a very long time," said Martin Arbaizar, 16, queueing to vote in a school in Barcelona.
Spain's conservative government challenged the vote in the courts, forcing Catalan leaders to water it down from a non-binding referendum to a symbolic vote organised by volunteers. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who has vowed to defend the unity of Spain as it recovers from recession, said the vote "will not have any effect".
But voters were undeterred, fired up by the independence referendum held in Scotland in September, despite most Scots voting 'no'.
"Even though it may not be official, the important thing is that they listen to us," said Arbaizar. "The more people vote, the more noise we make, the better." Catalonia's vice-president Joana Ortega told reporters that 1,142,910 people had voted across the region between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm (1200 GMT).
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