This is why a Malaga man voted at a polling station wearing a snorkel and scuba diving flippers

There was no clearer sign of a mid-summer election being held in Spain yesterday (23 July) than in Malaga when a man emerged from the unwavering heat and walked into a polling station to cast his vote wearing a snorkel and scuba-diving flippers.

The man, Jorge, known to many in the Churriana neighbourhood in Malaga city as a lottery salesman for ONCE, attended the Manuel Fernandez school about 8am on Sunday to ask permission from police about what he planned to do later in the day.

He wanted to disguise himself as a clown, with the condition that his face would be visible and that he would not wear anything linking him to a political party - but the police doubted that he would be allowed entry.

Instead, at about 10am, the man appeared through the door dressed in a swimsuit, with a Hawaiian shirt and a snorkel and diving flippers, and carrying a cool box. He nonchalantly walked directly to a table to cast his vote as some voters looked on in disbelief while others broke out in laughter.

"The man behaved correctly. He entered in silence, took his ballot paper and after voting has left without further ado," said some of the people waiting to vote. The bizarre scene was filmed and has since gone viral on social media. According to those present, the man entered in such quirky fashion to encourage more people to vote.