Spain said today turnout for its general election had reached 39.5 per cent of voters by around 2 p.m. local time (1 p.m. Irish time), higher than the 35.5 per cent registered at the same stage of the last election in 2000.
Analysts said Spaniards were turning out in bigger numbers as a show of faith in democracy following last week's attacks on Madrid rail stations.
Ruling Popular Party candidate Mr Mariano Rajoy led most polls until last Thursday's bombing which killed 200 and injured 1,500 others.
His conservative party had been projected to win the most seats in the 350-member Congress of Deputies, and perhaps retain its outright majority.
Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's government initially blamed the Basque separatist group Eta for the rail attack, even as evidence mounted of an Islamic link and the opposition accused the government of withholding information.
Last night Interior Minister Angel Acebes announced the arrests of three Moroccans and two Indians and later disclosed the existence of a videotape in which a man speaking Arabic said al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the rail blasts.
The news was broadcast on national TV and could sway the election. Spaniards including the main opposition candidate, Mr Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of the Socialist party, massively opposed last year's US-led invasion of Iraq, which Mr Aznar endorsed. He later sent 1,300 peacekeeping troops.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside Popular Party headquarters in Madrid and other cities last night demanding the truth about who carried out the bombing, and also shouting criticism of the government.
"No more cover-ups," read a banner carried by the protesters, who were being watched by riot police.
The Socialists pointed to the government's shifting version of events, which first focused blame Eta, but then included Islamic suspects after a van was found in the Madrid suburb where three of the four bombed trains originated. Inside were verses from the Quran, and detonators.
A Basque newspaper today published a statement by Eta in which the group denied for a second time its involvement in the attacks.
Agencies