Valencia hosts the election night for the presidency of the Generalitat, with voters across the Valencian Community watching closely as results come in. The leading contenders are clear from the main parties represented in the Cortes: the PSPV’s Ximo Puig, Carlos Mazón of PPCV, Mamen Peris of Ciudadanos, Joan Baldoví of Compromís, Carlos Flores of Vox, and Héctor Illueca of Unides Podem. The tally will be finalized when the polls close at 20:00 on Sunday in the city of Valencia, and census data will be updated accordingly.
Puig will monitor the night from his party’s headquarters in Valencia, while Mazón will await the early results from the PPCV facilities in the same city. Peris will steer Ciudadanos from the regional headquarters during the count. The night, however, deviates slightly for Vox and Unides Podem. Carlos Flores will review the results from Hospes Palau de la Mar in Valencia, and Illueca will follow the count from the Center for Contemporary Culture. Baldoví will receive the early numbers outdoors, at a field setup in Valencia’s Plaza del Pilar.
Analysts anticipate a possibly tight contest, with many forecasts suggesting only a narrow margin could separate the left-wing bloc from the right-wing bloc seeking to preserve Botànic. If Ciudadanos leaves the chamber and the PP aligns with Vox, the balance of power may pivot, potentially keeping the right wing within striking distance. A single seat could determine whether the left or the right governs the region.
Among the most influential factors will be turnout, a variable easily swayed by weather conditions on Sunday. Forecasts predict rain across large parts of the Valencian Community, a factor that traditionally weighs on turnout and tends to affect the left bloc more, given its historical vulnerability to lower participation. Parties have been intensifying outreach in the final days to rally their bases and mobilize supporters.
Another focal point is the possible departure of Ciudadanos, which many surveys have left out of the Valencian Parliament, and Unides Podem, hovering near the controversial 5 percent threshold. If these forces fall under the threshold, the composition of the chamber could shift dramatically, influencing negotiations and the formation of future coalitions. In that scenario, the purple forces could become pivotal in enabling a Botànic third term in the Valencian Community should they manage to clear the barrier and maintain representation. (attribution: electoral analysis desk)