La votación empieza ahora.

In Spanish, abstract or specific events are often used with the definite article, so la votación is the natural way to say the vote / the voting.

In this sentence, it refers to a specific voting process that everyone knows about, so la is expected.

• La votación empieza ahora. = The voting starts now.

If you remove la, it sounds incomplete or unnatural in most normal contexts.

Votación is feminine because nouns ending in -ción are almost always feminine in Spanish.

So you get:

• la votación
• una votación
• esta votación

This is a very useful pattern to remember:

• la nación
• la canción
• la información
• la decisión

Votación means voting, the vote, or the voting process, depending on context.

It comes from the verb votar = to vote.

So:

• votar = to vote
• la votación = the vote / the voting

In this sentence, la votación empieza ahora most naturally means that the process of voting is beginning now.

Empieza is the present tense, third person singular, of empezar.

The subject is la votación, which is singular, so the verb must also be singular:

• La votación empieza ahora.

Conjugation of empezar in the present:

• yo empiezo
• tú empiezas
• él/ella/usted empieza
• nosotros empezamos
• vosotros empezáis
• ellos/ellas/ustedes empiezan

Notice the stem change:

• e → ie in most forms
• but not in nosotros or vosotros

Because empezar is a stem-changing verb in the present tense.

The e in the stem changes to ie in many forms:

• empiezo
• empiezas
• empieza
• empiezan

But not in:

• empezamos
• empezáis

This is a very common pattern in Spanish, like:

• pensar → pienso
• cerrar → cierro
• comenzar → comienza

Because the subject, la votación, is singular.

Even though voting may involve many people, the noun itself is grammatically one single event or process. So Spanish uses a singular verb:

• La votación empieza ahora.

Compare:

• La reunión empieza ahora. = The meeting starts now.
• Las votaciones empiezan ahora. = The votes / voting sessions start now.

It can often mean either, depending on context.

Spanish often uses the simple present where English might use either:

• starts now
• is starting now

So La votación empieza ahora could naturally be understood as:

• The voting starts now
• The voting is starting now

Spanish does have a progressive form:

• La votación está empezando ahora

But in many real situations, the simple present sounds more natural and direct.

Yes. Comienza is also correct and means basically the same thing.

• La votación empieza ahora
• La votación comienza ahora

Both mean The voting starts now.

A few notes:

• empezar is very common and everyday
• comenzar can sound a little more formal in some contexts

In announcements, either one works well.

Ahora means now.

It tells you when the action begins:

• La votación empieza ahora. = The voting starts now.

Yes, it can move around, although the most neutral order here is the original one.

Possible alternatives:

• Ahora empieza la votación.
• La votación ahora empieza. — possible, but less natural in many contexts

In announcements, Ahora empieza la votación can sound especially natural because it puts emphasis on now.

In standard Peninsular Spanish, it is pronounced approximately:

• bo-ta-THYON

More carefully:

• vo-ta-ción → the ci is pronounced with a th sound in most of Spain

A few pronunciation notes:

• v and b are pronounced very similarly in Spanish
• the stress falls on the last syllable because of the written accent: -ción
• in most of Spain, ci sounds like th
• so votación sounds roughly like bo-ta-THYON

The full sentence would sound approximately like:

• La bo-ta-THYON em-PYE-tha a-O-ra

And in most of Spain, empieza also has that th sound in za.

The written accent in votación shows where the stress goes: vo-ta-CIÓN.

Without the accent, Spanish spelling rules would make you stress it differently, which would be incorrect.

The accent is very common in nouns ending in -ción, for example:

• nación
• información
• decisión is different in spelling, but also stressed at the end
• situación

So the accent helps you pronounce it correctly.

Yes. Depending on context, la votación can refer to:

• the act/process of voting
• a vote
• a ballot procedure
• a voting session

For example:

• La votación empieza ahora. = The voting starts now.
• La votación fue secreta. = The vote was secret.

So the exact English translation depends on the situation, even though the Spanish phrase stays the same.

Yes, absolutely. It sounds natural and appropriate, especially in a meeting, assembly, election, contest, or parliamentary setting.

It is short, clear, and official-sounding.

You might also hear:

• Empieza la votación.
• La votación comienza ahora.
• Se abre la votación. = The voting is now open.

But La votación empieza ahora is completely normal and correct.