Catalans began voting Sunday in a banned independence referendum, while police seized the ballots of at least one polling station. Spain's Constitutional Court suspended the vote and the Spanish central government says the vote is illegal.
In Photos: Catalonia Independence Referendum
![People cheer after voting at a school assigned to be a polling station by the Catalan government at the Gracia neighborhood in Barcelona, Spain, Oct. 1, 2017.](https://gdb.voanews.com/47fb2801-a7f8-4a93-ae89-3349a9f9c242_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
1
People cheer after voting at a school assigned to be a polling station by the Catalan government at the Gracia neighborhood in Barcelona, Spain, Oct. 1, 2017.
![A girl grimaces as Spanish National Police pushes away pro-referendum supporters outside the Ramon Llull school assigned to be a polling station by the Catalan government in Barcelona, Oct.1, 2017.](https://gdb.voanews.com/958673d4-2108-4abf-bd42-2ba7603a1588_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
2
A girl grimaces as Spanish National Police pushes away pro-referendum supporters outside the Ramon Llull school assigned to be a polling station by the Catalan government in Barcelona, Oct.1, 2017.
![A woman kisses a ballot before voting at a polling station for the banned independence referendum in Barcelona, Spain, Oct. 1, 2017.](https://gdb.voanews.com/d87080a4-9d67-4a54-a4a3-2c06d62fc812_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
3
A woman kisses a ballot before voting at a polling station for the banned independence referendum in Barcelona, Spain, Oct. 1, 2017.
![Spanish riot police shoots rubber bullets straight to people trying to reach a voting site at a school assigned to be a polling station by the Catalan government in Barcelona, Oct. 1, 2017.](https://gdb.voanews.com/a67ba6f2-2523-4da3-9ebb-c04f0c76f335_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
4
Spanish riot police shoots rubber bullets straight to people trying to reach a voting site at a school assigned to be a polling station by the Catalan government in Barcelona, Oct. 1, 2017.