Barça Election Race Officially Kicks Off as Laporta Steps Back
Barcelona's presidential election campaign has officially begun with voting set for March 15th. Joan Laporta temporarily steps down to focus on his re-election bid.
The race for the Barcelona hot seat is officially underway, with current president Joan Laporta facing stiff competition from several challengers as the Catalan giants prepare to vote on March 15th.
Laporta Steps Aside
In a move that’s straight out of the political playbook, Laporta has temporarily relinquished his presidential duties following this morning’s board meeting. The current Barça boss is focusing all his attention on his re-election campaign, with vice president Rafa Yuste taking the reins until July 1st, when the election winner will formally take office.
The Challengers
Looking to give Laporta a proper run for his money:
- Víctor Font - Laporta’s main rival who finished second in the 2021 elections
- Xavi Vilajoana - Former director during the Bartomeu era (previously failed to gather enough signatures in 2021)
- Marc Ciria - Another presidential hopeful joining the fray
Any candidate looking to get on the ballot needs to secure 2,337 valid signatures - not exactly a walk in the park. There’s also whispers that some candidates might team up to form a stronger challenge against Laporta.
Election Timeline
The election process is now in full swing with several key dates on the calendar:
- February 9: Official announcement published (today)
- February 13-14: Electoral Board and Electoral Table constitution
- February 15-19: Electoral census display
- February 23 - March 2: Submission of candidacy proposals
- March 6-13: Electoral campaign
- March 14: Reflection day (as is tradition in Spanish elections)
- March 15: Voting day
Voting Arrangements
The club will set up five polling stations across Catalonia - one each in Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona provinces, plus another in Andorra. All club members can vote at any location regardless of where they live.
Interestingly, despite Font’s advocacy, there won’t be any postal voting option for this election. Looks like members will have to get their plates of meat down to a polling station if they want their say in who runs the show at Camp Nou for the next few years.