Madrid ( CNN ) -- Catalonia 's November 9 independence referendum will not be held as planned due to the suspension of the vote by Spain 's Constitutional Court , Catalan President Artur Mas announced Tuesday in Barcelona . Mas said the decree he recently signed authorizing the referendum `` now has no effect , '' given that the Constitutional Court has accepted the Spanish government 's appeal for study , automatically suspending the vote . The Spanish government , in appealing to the Constitutional Court , said the Catalan vote as planned for November 9 was unconstitutional because the constitution holds that all of Spain , not just one region such as Catalonia , must decide on the country 's future . Scottish independence vote closely watched . Hundreds of thousands of Catalans have demonstrated in recent years for an independence referendum , and they closely watched the recent independence vote in Scotland . Even after Scotland voted to remain a part of the United Kingdom , many Catalans said the key issue was being able to vote in Catalonia on independence , which the Spanish government has opposed . Mas said there will still be a vote on November 9 , but it will be organized by the Catalan government under Catalan legislation that has not been blocked by the court . It will be called a `` consultation , '' and will be conducted by volunteers , not the usual electoral officials . And the polling places will be only in Catalan regional government buildings , not at numerous other sites , such as at city halls , many of which had opposed the referendum . Unity in question . Mas said the Catalan political parties -- including his nationalist Convergence and Union party -- that had favored the referendum and independence are no longer as united as they recently were on the issue . Leftist pro-independence parties have insisted that the November 9 referendum be held as planned , despite the court 's ruling , and some have called for a unilateral declaration of independence . On September 11 , Catalan national day , hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Barcelona for the third year in a row , demanding a vote on independence be held . Self-governance . But Madrid argues that Catalonia , which represents one fifth of Spain 's economy , already has broad home-rule powers , including its own parliament , police force and control over education and health . And it insists that the Spanish Constitution does not allow any of Spain 's 17 regions to unilaterally break away . Catalonia is a region of northeastern Spain , with Barcelona -- the second-largest city in Spain -- as its capital . If there is eventually a referendum , voters are expected to be asked a two-part question : `` Should Catalonia be a state ? '' And those who vote yes to that can then vote on the second question : `` Should that state be independent ? '' Polls indicate that a majority of Catalans want to have a chance to vote but that less than a majority would vote for independence , given the chance .
There will be no independence referendum in November , the government said . Spain 's Constitutional Court suspended the vote to the government 's appeal . Catalonia , in northeastern Spain , already has its own parliament , in force .