<p align="justify" class="title">Catalans voted today in a crucial election that could mark a turning point for their region, just two months after a failed secession bid triggered Spain's worst political crisis in decades.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Record turnout is expected in a vote pitting leaders of the wealthy northeastern region's separatist movement against parties that want to remain in Spain.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Will voters again hand victory to pro-independence parties that tried to break Catalonia from Spain, one of those candidates is in jail and the other in self-imposed exile in Belgium?</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Or will they lose the absolute parliamentary majority of 72 seats they won in 2015?</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Catalans on both sides of the divide saw the day as a potential moment of truth for their region, following weeks of upheaval and protest unseen since democracy was reinstated following the death in 1975 of dictator Franco.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">While the independence question is far from new, it was the referendum on October 1 -- and a heavy police crackdown on voters -- that focused the world's attention on the region.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Some 5.5 million people are registered to vote in Thursday's election which is likely to see seven parties winning mandates in the 135-seat regional parliament.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Even before polling stations opened in Barcelona, people had formed long queues to cast their ballots.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">In the seaside town of Calafell, Joan Rafael Nunez Margalet, a 56-year-old fisherman, was among the first to vote.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">"We had to vote today, we couldn't have stayed home," he said, adding that he was voting for the pro-unity camp.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">The vote is widely seen as a plebiscite on the independence question in Catalonia, whose autonomy Spain stripped in an unprecedented move after a failed independence declaration on October 27.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Crucially, however, even if the pro-independence camp wins, it is not expected to attempt another breakaway from Spain but rather try to enter into negotiations with Madrid.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">In the staunchly pro-independence town of Vic, the sun shone feebly on a small line of voters waiting in the freezing cold outside a day centre for the elderly, their polling station.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">One man wore a yellow ribbon -- a symbol used by separatists demanding their leaders be freed from detention.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Posters advocating independence were plastered all over the nearby walls, one of which had a picture of someone's hands tied behind their back, which read: "Help Catalonia".</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Following the controversial October referendum, which went ahead despite a ban by Madrid, the crisis came to a head later that month when the regional parliament declared unilateral independence.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">The move infuriated the Spanish government but also rattled a Europe still reeling from Britain's decision to leave.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">The secession bid was short-lived, though, as Madrid sacked Catalonia's government, dissolved its parliament and called snap elections.</p>
<p align="justify" class="title">Catalans voted today in a crucial election that could mark a turning point for their region, just two months after a failed secession bid triggered Spain's worst political crisis in decades.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Record turnout is expected in a vote pitting leaders of the wealthy northeastern region's separatist movement against parties that want to remain in Spain.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Will voters again hand victory to pro-independence parties that tried to break Catalonia from Spain, one of those candidates is in jail and the other in self-imposed exile in Belgium?</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Or will they lose the absolute parliamentary majority of 72 seats they won in 2015?</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Catalans on both sides of the divide saw the day as a potential moment of truth for their region, following weeks of upheaval and protest unseen since democracy was reinstated following the death in 1975 of dictator Franco.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">While the independence question is far from new, it was the referendum on October 1 -- and a heavy police crackdown on voters -- that focused the world's attention on the region.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Some 5.5 million people are registered to vote in Thursday's election which is likely to see seven parties winning mandates in the 135-seat regional parliament.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Even before polling stations opened in Barcelona, people had formed long queues to cast their ballots.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">In the seaside town of Calafell, Joan Rafael Nunez Margalet, a 56-year-old fisherman, was among the first to vote.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">"We had to vote today, we couldn't have stayed home," he said, adding that he was voting for the pro-unity camp.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">The vote is widely seen as a plebiscite on the independence question in Catalonia, whose autonomy Spain stripped in an unprecedented move after a failed independence declaration on October 27.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Crucially, however, even if the pro-independence camp wins, it is not expected to attempt another breakaway from Spain but rather try to enter into negotiations with Madrid.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">In the staunchly pro-independence town of Vic, the sun shone feebly on a small line of voters waiting in the freezing cold outside a day centre for the elderly, their polling station.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">One man wore a yellow ribbon -- a symbol used by separatists demanding their leaders be freed from detention.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Posters advocating independence were plastered all over the nearby walls, one of which had a picture of someone's hands tied behind their back, which read: "Help Catalonia".</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Following the controversial October referendum, which went ahead despite a ban by Madrid, the crisis came to a head later that month when the regional parliament declared unilateral independence.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">The move infuriated the Spanish government but also rattled a Europe still reeling from Britain's decision to leave.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">The secession bid was short-lived, though, as Madrid sacked Catalonia's government, dissolved its parliament and called snap elections.</p>