Acudí al local electoral.

Acudí is the first-person singular preterite of acudir:

• acudo = I attend / I go to
• acudí = I attended / I went to / I showed up at

In this sentence, it means something like I went to or I turned up at the polling place.

Compared with fui, acudí often sounds a bit more formal or deliberate.

The accent mark shows where the stress falls: a-cu-DÍ.

It also helps distinguish the correct past-tense form. In the preterite, many -ir verbs in the yo form end in -í:

• viví = I lived
• recibí = I received
• acudí = I attended / I went

So the accent is a normal part of this verb form.

Because in Spanish, a + el contracts to al.

So:

• a + el local electoral → al local electoral

This contraction is required almost all the time.

The only common exception is when el is part of a proper name, for example:

• Voy a El Escorial.

But here el local electoral is not a proper name, so al is correct.

Acudir usually takes a when it means to go to, to attend, or to show up at a place or event.

Examples:

• Acudí a la reunión. = I attended the meeting.
• Acudimos al médico. = We went to the doctor.
• Acudieron al concierto. = They went to the concert.

So acudir a is the normal pattern.

In Spain, local electoral refers to an official polling venue/place where voting happens.

A few useful notes:

• local here does not mean local as in nearby
• it means a premises, venue, or establishment
• electoral means related to elections

So local electoral is something like polling place, polling venue, or election premises.

Yes. In Spanish, local can be a noun meaning premises, shop unit, venue, or business space.

So in this sentence:

• el local = the premises / the venue

That is different from the English adjective local.

This is a very common false friend area for English speakers.

Because in Spanish, most adjectives normally come after the noun.

So:

• local electoral = electoral venue / polling place

Putting the adjective after the noun is the standard order here.
If you put electoral before local, it would sound unusual or unnatural in normal Spanish.

Yes, it is understandable and correct, especially in a somewhat formal or administrative register.

That said, in everyday Spanish in Spain, people may more often say:

• Fui al colegio electoral.
• Fui a votar.

Colegio electoral is a very common term for polling station/polling place in Spain.

So Acudí al local electoral sounds a bit more formal than everyday conversation.

Acudí is the preterite, which presents the action as a completed event:

• Acudí al local electoral. = I went to the polling place.

Acudía is the imperfect, which would usually suggest:

• a repeated action
• a habitual action
• background information
• an action in progress

For example:

• Cuando era joven, acudía siempre con mi padre a votar.
  = When I was young, I used to go vote with my father.

So in your sentence, acudí is used because it refers to one completed visit.

Yes. Fui al local electoral is also correct.

The difference is mainly one of style:

• fui = more neutral, common, everyday
• acudí = more formal, more like I attended or I presented myself at

So both work, but acudí has a slightly more official tone.

Not always.

In Spanish, electoral often refers to things connected with elections. In English, while electoral exists, it is not always the most natural everyday translation.

For example:

• local electoral → usually polling place or polling station, not literally electoral venue
• campaña electoral → election campaign
• sistema electoral → electoral system

So the word is related, but the most natural English equivalent depends on context.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

ah-koo-DEE al loh-KAL eh-lek-toh-RAL

Stress falls on:

• acuDÍ
• loCAL
• electoRAL

In connected speech, al local can run together quite smoothly.

Yes. Acudir can also mean to respond, to come when called, or to resort to someone/something.

Examples:

• Los bomberos acudieron rápidamente.
  = The firefighters came quickly.
• Acudió a un abogado.
  = He/She turned to a lawyer.
• Mucha gente acudió al evento.
  = A lot of people attended the event.

So its core idea is often coming/going in response or for a purpose, which is why it sounds a bit more formal than simply ir.