Fans, swimwear and sweat: Spaniards brave summer heat to vote in snap election

Spaniards got up early, voted in swimwear and turned ballot papers into fans to beat sweltering heat on Sunday as they took part in an election that many saw as ill-timed in the middle of summer.

By midday, long queues were reported outside polling stations, where staff installed fans, set up portable air conditioning machines and gave out bottles of water to keep voters and polling staff cool.

Some 40.5% of votes were cast by 2 p.m. (1200 GMT) compared to 37.9% in the last election in November 2019. Another 2.47 million people - about 7% of those eligible to vote in Spain voted before Sunday by post.

Commentators on local media remarked on long queues building earlier than usual. Most voters said their motive was to beat the heat

A fan is placed to cool off as people cast their votes during a general snap election at a polling station in Barcelona, Spain.

Monica Lopez and her husband carry beach chairs as they cast their votes during a general snap election.

A couple enter a voting booth for Spain's general election at a polling station in Madrid.

A woman gets her identity checked before casting her ballot during Spain's general election.

A voter casts their ballot in Spain's general election in Madrid.

People queue to cast their votes during a general snap election at a polling station in Barcelona, Spain.

An election worker, center, gestures to a voter on a wheelchair at a polling station for Spain's general election, in Madrid.

Nuns cast their ballots before voting at a polling station for Spain's general election.

A woman prepares her ballot at a polling station, during the general snap election, in Ronda, Spain.

A voter heads to a polling station to vote during the general election in Madrid, Spain.

A polling station official uses a fan against the heat as voters cast their ballots at a polling station in Badalona, outskirts of Barcelona, Spain.