Catalan Government launches website informing people where to vote on 1-O

This Thursday the Catalan government showed its intention to go ahead with the referendum, in spite of the police crackdown, by publishing a list of polling stations for the 1 October vote. The President of the Catalan government Carles Puigdemont, announced that members of public can check which polling station they ought to attend at https://onvotar.garantiespelreferendum.com/. From what ARA has been able to determine, it appears as if the list includes premises belonging to Barcelona city council.

The website differs from the one that has been shut down on numerous occasions in that this time it includes a link at the bottom: 'where to vote'. The link opens a form requiring the prospective voter to enter their National Identity Number, post code and date of birth. Once the details have been filled in, the website displays the polling station that they are supposed to go to.

With this latest move, the government wishes to send a clear message that it is not backing down on the 1-O referendum in spite of the judicial pressure and the fact that Spain’s Guardia Civil has confiscated much of the material needed to carry it out. Although it admits that the referendum has been "affected", the government's intention is to do everything within its ability to ensure it goes ahead.

PHCs and the premises of Regional Healthcare Services to also be used as polling stations

The Catalan government’s failure to ensure that every council is willing to allow local premises to be used as polling stations has forced them to seek alternatives. According to sources consulted by ARA, in towns such as Mataró and Lleida, Primary Healthcare Centres and Territorial Health Service offices have been designated as polling stations.

The moment the web’s address was made public, people took to social media to announce where they were going to vote on 1-O. It soon became apparent that some Catalans will be able to vote in their usual polling station, while others will have to use an alternative venue.

The first errors emerge: incorrect addresses and voters missing from the list

The launch of the website has also revealed the first errors that will need to be corrected. For example, in the town of Montcada i Reixac, the polling station is listed as Mas Rampinyo school, but the address is incorrect. Instead of directing the voters to carrer Joan Miró, the web shows carrer dels Països Catalans.

According to severeal individuals contacted by ARA, there have also been cases of people who have moved in the last year, yet when they filled in their details on the website —both their old address and the new one— they were absent from the roll.