POLLS have opened across Catalonia in a hotly contested election aimed at breaking a deadlock over the region's independence drive.
Voting began at 9am local time and nearly 2,700 polling stations will remain open until 8pm.
READ MORE: World's eyes turn to Catalonia ahead of today's fresh elections
The vote was called by Spain's central authorities after they seized control of the north-eastern region in late October. It will also be closely watched beyond the country's borders.
Opinion polls have shown fugitive and jailed pro-independence candidates neck-and-neck in opinion polls with unionists.
With a record turnout expected, more than a fifth of the 5.5 million eligible voters were thought to be undecided.
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