Catalan and European turnout: the standoff of those who don't vote

Catalan and European turnout: the standoff of those who don't vote

There is a scene that repeats itself every election day: the person who says they don't vote but never misses a beat of politics. The question opening this debate is whether that same legion of abstainers who look down on those who go to the polls will show up at Spain's Catalan elections and the European ones. The majority answer, without nuance, is yes: the very people who call everyone else suckers.

The core criticism is not abstention itself, but the contradiction. Abstainers stand accused of thinking they are smarter for not voting while being "the first to comment on the elections." The comparison making the rounds is the fan who never misses a national team match even though they rail against it. And the punchline: on Sunday at 7:55 p.m. they will all be glued to the TV.

Why people give up on voting

The underlying issue is disaffection. The argument is that a right wing perceived as fusty, together with a media, political and judicial echo chamber, generates a rejection that pushes people toward abstention. The image used is that of trees planted along the edge so the forest cannot be seen.

But abstention is not homogeneous. Some see it as consistency, while others are looking for somewhere to cast their vote. One participant admits he is considering voting for Iustitia Europa, a party which, according to his account, defended citizens' rights and the rights of the unvaccinated during the pandemic. It is the first time, he says, he has seen anyone stand up for citizens.

Tactical voting versus the protest vote

Against that option comes the diagnosis that the socialist bloc and the independence movement will win again. The analysis is that things change little by little, but not enough, and that left-wing voters and independence supporters never abstain. On that reading, abstention is not neutral: it benefits whoever has the more mobilised electorate.

The discussion descends into an exchange of labels. The term gets corrected: not "abstontonistas" but "abstenciolistos." Abstainers are accused of sitting on their hands while opining on everything. And they are reminded that, whether they vote or not, they cannot vote for the king.

The fine print of abstention

The paradox has its most awkward version: someone who had no intention of voting ends up as polling station president, forced to spend the whole day at the polling place. Abstention does not exempt you from election logistics.

The closing comes from the startling figure: turnout below 50% by 6 p.m. At that level, abstention stops being an anecdote and becomes the main player of the day.