2016 Spanish General Election Sunday June 26,2016 - Spain after a second election in six months failed to find a winner able to form a government

Spain could face more months of political deadlock after a second election in six months failed to find a winner able to form a government.

The conservative Popular Party has ruled with a minority since December and it was hoped that the unprecedented second vote could put an end to it. 

But despite receiving the most votes, it fell short of the majority of 176 seats it needs in the 350-seat Parliament to form a government on its own.

And with 99.9 per cent of the votes counted by late on Sunday, incumbent prime minister Mariano Rajoy's Popular Party won 137 seats in Sunday’s vote, 14 more than in December 2015 but still short of the absolute majority in the 350-seat Parliament that it enjoyed after the 2011 election.

Even so, Mariano Rajoy declared he would make a push for power, telling a victory rally in Madrid: 'We won the election, we demand the right to govern.'  

Mariano Rajoy, Spain's acting Prime Minister of the caretaker government, casts his vote for the Spanish general election held on Sunday June 26,2016

Spain  headed to the polls Sunday June 26,2016 for an unprecedented election after six months of political deadlock when there was no clear winner in the December ballot

The elections came amid a climate of public anger at high unemployment, and cuts in government spending on services such as welfare and education.

The two-week campaign has also been marred by political corruption scandals.

Turnout for the election was 51.17 per cent, which is around seven percentage points lower than at the same time in December 2015

The center-left Socialist Party placed second in the election, collecting 85 seats, five fewer seats than in December 2015 in its worst ever result.

In third place, with 71 seats, was the left-wing Unidos Podemos (United We Can) group, which brings together the communists, the Greens and the two-year-old Podemos party that grew out of a grassroots anti-austerity protest movement.

Barring an unlikely grand coalition with the Socialists, Mr. Rajoy’s best option would appear to be to strike a deal with the business-friendly Ciudadanos party, which came in fourth with 32 seats

Spain has never had a coalition government and the Popular Party and the Socialists have alternated in power for decades. 

King Felipe VI will consult party leaders in the coming weeks and likely nominate one to try to form a government.