AS IT HAPPENED | Election day at FC Barcelona

Election day comes to a close: Joan Laporta is the new FC Barcelona president with 54.28% of the vote. 

00.01am. Joan Laporta is already heading to the 1899 Auditorium to make his first speech as President.

11.50pm. We also have the turnout data, which was very high despite Covid-19. In this election, there were finally 55,611 members who voted, between the face-to-face vote and the postal vote.

11.30pm. 100% of the vote has been counted and these are the results:

Joan Laporta: 54.28%
Victor Font: 29.99%
Antoni Freixa: 8.58%

Laporta becomes the new president of FC Barcelona, with 30,184 votes!

For his part, Víctor Font received 16,679 votes and Freixa 4,769.

11.24pm. There is only one table's worth of votes left to count.

11.22pm. It looks like these will be the second highest elections in terms of turnout, which is incredible considering the protocols surrounding the pandemic.

11.20pm. Once the count is complete, the President of the Bureau will proclaim the winner of this election. Subsequently, the winner will appear to make his first speech as President.

11.05pm. Joan Laporta has more than 25,000 votes. Víctor Font has 14,000 and Toni Freixa 4164.

11:02pm. 90% counted and the results are as follows:

Joan Laporta: 57.61%
Victor Font: 31.65%
Antoni Freixa: 9.45%

11.00pm. Joan Laporta's candidacy celebrates the victory virtually. With only 10% of the count remaining, the results so far give him a clear lead.

10.50pm. The president of the Management Commission, Carles Tusquets, approaches the box of Laporta's candidacy. The candidate has taken advantage of it to congratulate the club for the exemplary organisation in these elections.

10.44pm. 80% of the count complete!

Joan Laporta: 57.91%
Víctor Font: 30.97%
Antoni Freixa: 9.92%

10.38pm. Toni Freixa speaks: "I want to congratulate Laporta for this victory, which does not allow for any discussion. We must now support our President. Such a high turnout legitimises his win."

10.36pm. Absolute cordiality between the three candidates. Toni Freixa and Víctor Font congratulate Joan Laporta, who is grateful for the gesture. 

10:32pm. The end of the count is approaching. At 75%, the results are as follows:

Joan Laporta: 57.6%
Víctor Font: 31.17%
Antoni Freixa: 10.05%

10.22pm. Results with 50% counted:

Joan Laporta: 57,31%
Víctor Font: 31,28%
Antoni Freixa: 10,24%

10.13pm. Results with 25% counted:

Joan Laporta: 57.49%
Victor Font: 31.32%
Antoni Freixa: 10.11%

10.06pm. With 10% of the vote counted, the results are:

Joan Laporta: 57.88%
Victor Font: 30.98%
Antoni Freixa: 10.12%

9.55pm. In a few minutes we will be able to take a look at the first numbers from the count.

9.30pm. The poll conducted by TV3 gives the electoral victory to Laporta (58%), ahead of Font (31%) and Freixa (9%). We are still waiting, however, for official results.

9.00pm. 12 hours later, the voting has closed. The count is now underway.

8.30pm. Last half hour of voting!

8.10pm. By 8.00pm, 35,013 people (31.74% of the census) had voted.

7.55pm. Éric Abidal has also arrived at the Camp Nou to vote in the elections.

7.30pm. There is an hour and a half left before the vote closes. Here are some photos of those who have passed through the Camp Nou to vote on election day:

7.10pm. By 7.00pm, 32,961 people (29.88% of the census) had voted.

7.00pm. The turn of Pierre Oriola, a Barça basketball player, to vote.

6.50pm. Now it's the turn of Ángel 'Pichi' Alonso and Víctor Muñoz, former Barça players, to vote. Both have positive feelings about the day, despite the pandemic.

6.40pm. The former Barça player and coach, Juan Carlos Unzué, also came to the Camp Nou to vote.

6.10pm. By 6.00pm, 30,386 people (27,55% of the census) had voted.

6.00pm. 75% of election day has passed, meaning there are three hours left until the tables close.

5.20pm. Former FC Barcelona captain, Carles Puyol, has also exercised his right to vote. "These are very important elections. The more members that participate, the better," he said.

5.10pm. By 5.00pm, 28.093 people (25,47% of the census) had voted.

4.45pm. A moment to remember that a total of 1,986 people have participated in the organisational and sanitary operations throughout the day.

4.35pm. Joan Barbarà, a member of the first team's coaching staff, has also exercised his right to vote.

4.25pm. Former Dream Team player, Sergi Barjuan, has voted. "Despite the pandemic, people are responding," he told Barça TV.

4.10pm. By 4.00pm, 25,405 people (23.03% of the census) had voted.

3.30pm. At 3.00pm, there was a shift change with staff at the tables being replaced.

3.25pm. The turn of former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who also cast his vote at the Camp Nou.

3.15pm. By 3.00pm, 23,619 people (21.41% of the census) had voted.

3.00pm. We've reached the halfway point on election day, meaning  there is six hours of voting left.

2.10pm. By 2.00pm, 21,390 people (19.39% of the census) had voted.

1.55pm. All three presidential candidates made a statement after voting.

1.50pm. Former presidents Enric Reina and Joan Gaspart have voted.

1.25pm. Former player and coach Luis Enrique Martínez voted a few moments ago.

1.10pm. By 1.00pm, 16,868 people had voted in person (15.29% of the census)

12.50pm. The different venues are also seeing an influx of FC Barcelona members wishing to vote. In addition to Barcelona, these elections are taking place at offices in Tarragona, Lleida, Girona, Tortosa and Andorra.

12.40pm. Players from the various sporting sections have also voted: Alex Abrines, from basketball, and Sergi Panadero, from hockey.

12.25pm. Former player Bojan Krkic has also voted.

12.10pm. By midday, this was the turnout data:

In-person voting: 10,792 people (9.78% of the census)

12.07pm. Sergi Roberto, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba have also voted.

12.05pm. The first team players continue to arrive. Now it's Riqui Puig's turn.

11.50am. Barça captain, Leo Messi, accompanied by his son, votes.

11.45am. Former President Sandro Rosell also votes.

11:40am. 🔊 Víctor Font: "These are the most important elections in the contemporary history of the club. There are many members at all of the venues, and so far there has been a good turnout. Encourage everyone, the future is in your hands."

11.30am. Voting time for candidate Víctor Font 🗳️

11.20am. Up until 11.00am, this is the turnout data:

Face-to-face voting: 5,867 people (5.3% of the census)

Accumulated turnout (with the postal vote): 26,529 people (24.05%)

11.10am. The former President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, has just voted at the Camp Nou.

10.45am. 🗳️ Now it is the turn for candidate, Toni Freixa, to vote: 

🔊 "The more participation, the more legitimacy the elected President will have. It is very important that the members come to vote."

10.35am It is the turn of Carles Tusquets, Chairman of the Management Committee, who has just exercised his right to vote.

🔊 "These are the first elections where various venues and a vote by mail is being utilised. Members should have no doubt about coming to vote, as maximum participation and support for the next Board of Directors is good for the club."

10.20am. Barça B coach, Francesc García Pimienta, has just voted at the Camp Nou. Curiously, he  voted at the table where the Camp Nou speaker, Aleix Santacana, acts as president.

10.05am. 🔊 Joan Laporta: "These are the most important elections in the history of Barça. I have gone out to vote and the sun has risen. I encourage everyone to come to vote, to participate. A high turnout is always better."

"We won at El Sadar, also the women's team, handball ... Yesterday was a good day, a preamble to the good day that there will also be today."

10.00am. Candidate, Joan Laporta, has just voted at the Camp Nou 🗳️

9.55am. The weather is improving at Camp Nou. The sun has come out, just a few minutes after the first members have excercised their right to vote.

9.45am The large influx of members to the stadium continues.

9.25am. The first members continue to arrive at the various venues, but especially at the Camp Nou.

9.10am. It's wet at the Camp Nou. The first drops of rain are falling.

9.00am. It's time. Election day kicks off. During the next 12 hours, the members will elect the new Barça president and board until 2026.

8.50am. Remember that members will have six different venues to vote in person:

Barcelona, 78,987 members:
101 Tables at Camp Nou
10 Tables at the Palau Blaugrana
(Two special tables at the OAB for incidents and at the OAE for members with reduced mobility)

Girona, Fontajau Pavilion (Avda President Josep Tarradellas, 22-24)
3,707 members: 5 Tables

Lleida, Delegation of the Catalan Football Federation (Calle Riu Besòs, 8)
1,264 members: 2 Tables

Tarragona, Camp Clar Sports Center (Riu Siurana Street s / n)
2,200 members: 3 Tables

Tortosa, Headquarters of the Catalan Football Federation (Calle Adrià d’Utrecht, 5, ground floor)
616 members: 1 Table

Andorra, Palau de Congressos (Plaça del Poble s / n)
705 members: 2 Tables.

8.30am. For members coming to vote, here’s a reminder of the documents you’ll need to bring along.

• Documents for entering the site:
  Nobody that does not have an FC Barcelona membership card for 2021 or 2020 will be permitted entry to the premises.
• Documents for voting:
  Voters must bring their national ID card (or diving licence or passport in the case of foreigners) and expired cards shall not be accepted. Membership cards are not valid for voting. 

8.25am. All club members are entitled to vote, provided they are of legal age, have been members for at least one year and have not had their membership suspended for some reason. That’s 110,290 people, although 22,811 of those opted to cast their votes by mail, of which 20,663 eventually did so.

8.15am. The polls open at 9.00am CET and close at 9.00pm CET. To avoid crowding, voters have been allocated recommended time slots.

8.00am. And the big day is here! We’ll be providing minute by minute coverage of everything happening in today’s election for a new club president and board of directors. There’s a long day ahead, but we’re with you all the way through to the announcement of the person who’ll be running the club from now until 2026.

More news here