Counting underway in European and local elections

Counting is underway on an election day in which voters in Catalonia are choosing both local and European representatives, with exit polls forecasting the largest turnout since 1987.

At 6pm, an estimated 51% had voted in the European elections, with 50.6% in the local elections, an increase of six points and 15 points respectively since the last elections.

However, the results of the European elections will not be made public until after 11pm, which is when polling stations in Italy close.

As for the local elections, the first results began to come through after 9pm, with many eyes fixed on how things would turn out in Barcelona.

With 27.7% of the votes counted, mayor Ada Colau's BComú had won 21.7% of the share, with the Socialist's Jaume Collboni getting 20.9%, and Esquerra’s Ernest Maragall 20.3%.

Across Catalonia, the pro-independence Esquerra party (23.2%) and the Socialists (23.5%) were neck-and-neck, but with the former getting 2,418 local councilors and the latter 1,095, with 45.7% of the votes counted.

The pro-independence Junts per Catalunya party were in third place with 2,165 councillors and 15.05% of the share of the vote.