Biscay (Senate constituency)

For the Congress of Deputies constituency, see Biscay (Congress of Deputies constituency). For the Basque Parliament constituency, see Biscay (Basque Parliament constituency).

Biscay
Senate of Spain Electoral constituency
Location of Biscay within Spain
Province	Biscay
Autonomous community	Basque Country
Population	1,160,133 (2024)[1]
Electorate	942,983 (2023)
Major settlements	Bilbao, Barakaldo, Getxo
Current constituency
Created	1977
Seats	4
Member(s)	PNV (3)   PSOE (1)

Biscay is one of the 59 constituencies (Spanish: circunscripciones) represented in the Senate of Spain, the upper chamber of the Spanish parliament, the Cortes Generales. The constituency elects four senators. Its boundaries correspond to those of the Spanish province of Biscay. The electoral system uses an open list partial block voting, with electors voting for individual candidates instead of parties. Electors can vote for up to three candidates.

Electoral system

The constituency was created as per the Political Reform Act 1977 and was first contested in the 1977 general election. The Act provided for the provinces of Spain to be established as multi-member districts in the Senate of Spain,^[2] with this regulation being maintained under the Spanish Constitution of 1978.^[3] Additionally, the Constitution requires for any modification of the provincial limits to be approved under an organic law, needing an absolute majority in the Cortes Generales.^[4]

Voting is on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprises all nationals over 18 years of age and in full enjoyment of their political rights.^[5] The only exception was in 1977, when this was limited to nationals over 21 years of age and in full enjoyment of their political and civil rights.^[6][7] Amendments to the electoral law in 2011 required for Spaniards abroad to apply for voting before being permitted to vote, a system known as "begged" or expat vote (Spanish: Voto rogado),^[8][9] which was abolished in 2022.^[10] 208 seats are elected using an open list partial block voting system, with electors voting for individual candidates instead of parties. In constituencies electing four seats, electors can vote for up to three candidates; in those with two or three seats, for up to two candidates; and for one candidate in single-member districts. Each of the 47 peninsular provinces is allocated four seats, whereas for insular provinces, such as the Balearic and Canary Islands, districts are the islands themselves, with the larger—Mallorca, Gran Canaria and Tenerife—being allocated three seats each, and the smaller—Menorca, Ibiza–Formentera, Fuerteventura, La Gomera and El Hierro (which comprised a single constituency only for the 1977 election), Lanzarote and La Palma—one each. Ceuta and Melilla elect two seats each.^{[2][3][11][12]} Until 1985, the law also provided for by-elections to fill Senate seats vacated up to two years into the legislature.^[13]

The electoral law allows for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, coalitions and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form a coalition ahead of an election are required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election call—fifteen before 1985—whereas groupings of electors need to secure the signature of at least one percent of the electorate in the constituencies for which they seek election—one permille of the electorate, with a compulsory minimum of 500 signatures, until 1985—disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates. Also since 2011, parties, federations or coalitions that have not obtained a mandate in either chamber of the Cortes at the preceding election are required to secure the signature of at least 0.1 percent of electors in the aforementioned constituencies.^[14][15]

Senators

Senators for Biscay 1977–
Key to parties   U.Podemos   Podemos   PSOE   FA   PNV   UCD   PP
Legislature	Election	Distribution
Constituent	1977	3 1
1st	1979	1 3
2nd	1982	1 3
3rd	1986	1 3
4th	1989	1 3
5th	1993	1 3
6th	1996	1 3
7th	2000	3 1
8th	2004	1 3
9th	2008	3 1
10th	2011	1 3
11th	2015	1 3
12th	2016	1 3
13th	2019 (Apr)	1 3
14th	2019 (Nov)	1 3
15th	2023	1 3

Elections

2023 general election

Summary of the 23 July 2023 Senate of Spain election results

Candidates	Parties and coalitions		Popular vote
			Votes	%
Y Nerea Ahedo Ceza		EAJ/PNV	174,283	29.29
Y María Dolores Etxano Varela		EAJ/PNV	165,504	27.81
Y Igotz Lopez Torre		EAJ/PNV	162,494	27.31
Y Txema Oleaga Zalvidea		PSE-EE	151,893	25.53
• Teresa Fernández García		PSE-EE	145,791	24.50
• Juan Andrades García		PSE-EE	139,768	23.49
• Jasone Agirre Garitaonandia		EH Bildu	131,450	22.09
• Pello Zabarte Narbaiza		EH Bildu	123,198	20.70
• Natalia Gardeazabal Diez		EH Bildu	120,375	20.23
• Cristina Martínez Ruiz		PP	68,567	11.52
• Jon Albisu Seoane		PP	66,734	11.21
• Pablo Egusquiaguirre Martin		PP	65,087	10.93
• Andeka Larrea Larrondo		Sumar	60,679	10.19
• Carmen Muñoz Lopez		Sumar	52,344	8.79
• Ana Saiz Quintano		Sumar	48,847	8.21
• María Pérez Fernández		Vox	13,395	2.25
• Jesús Varela Gómez		Vox	12,508	2.10
• Eva María Rodríguez Martin		Vox	11,870	1.99
• María López Galán		PACMA	4,656	0.78
• Luis Alberto Real De Las Heras		PACMA	2,761	0.46
• Esther Begoña Rodríguez		PACMA	2,645	0.44
• Iratxe Hernández Simón		PUM+J	2,186	0.36
• Igone Bastida Esteban		PCTE	1,662	0.27
• Jesús Ángel Gómez Esteban		Recortes Cero	1,434	0.24
Blank ballots			6,027	1.01
Total			1,736,158
Valid votes			594,955	98.17
Invalid votes			11,066	1.82
Votes cast / turnout			606,021	67.79
Abstentions			287,860	32.20
Registered voters			893,881
Sources[16]

November 2019 general election

Summary of the 10 November 2019 Senate of Spain election results in Biscay

Candidates	Parties and coalitions		Popular vote
			Votes	%
Y Nerea Ahedo Ceza		EAJ/PNV	230,304	36.99
Y María Dolores Etxano Varela		EAJ/PNV	222,904	35.80
Y Imanol Landa Jauregi		EAJ/PNV	220,156	35.36
Y Txema OIeaga Zalvidea		PSE–EE (PSOE)	120,371	19.34
• Idoia Agorría Martínez		PSE–EE (PSOE)	117,483	18.87
• Carlos Fernández Martínez		PSE–EE (PSOE)	113,885	18.29
• Arantza Gutiérrez Paz		EH Bildu	101,741	16.34
• Edriga Aranburu Agirre		EH Bildu	96,573	15.51
• María Jesús Etxeandia Cirión		EH Bildu	94,621	15.20
• José Antonio Martín Acosta		Podemos–IU	81,743	13.13
• Amaia Hernández Rodríguez		Podemos–IU	76,841	12.34
• Xabier Jiménez López		Podemos–IU	76,122	12.23
• Raquel González Diez-Andino		PP	59,761	9.60
• Luis Miguel Arroyo Millán		PP	57,564	9.25
• María Carmen Sánchez Sequeros		PP	54,008	8.68
• María Pérez Fernández		Vox	12,728	2.04
• Pascual Blanco Peña		Más País–C. Ecologista	10,054	1.61
• Armán Basurto Barrio		Cs	8,350	1.34
• Blanca Amelia Gozalo Martínez		Cs	7,114	1.14
• Santiago Orozco García		Cs	6,542	1.05
• María Izaskun Almazán Ledesma		PACMA	6,185	0.99
• Unai de Zarraolandia Salas		PACMA	4,183	0.67
• Rocío Hernández Clares		PACMA	3,772	0.61
• Pablo Setién Pascual		Recortes Cero–GV	1,277	0.21
• Javier Martínez Bárbara		PUM+J	1,103	0.18
• Unai Vidaurrazaga Sola		PCTE/ELAK	1,085	0.17
• María Soraya Urrutia Santos		Recortes Cero–GV	949	0.15
• Jesús Ángel Gómez Esteban "Kendall Maison"		Recortes Cero–GV	616	0.10
• Unai Ortúzar Barrenechea		Solidaria	411	0.07
• María Pilar Vivar Ramos		Solidaria	325	0.05
• Javier López Galiana		Solidaria	238	0.04
Blank ballots			7,886	1.27
Total			622,554
Valid votes			622,554	98.38
Invalid votes			10,247	1.62
Votes cast / turnout			632,801	66.64
Abstentions			316,797	33.36
Registered voters			949,598
Sources[17]

April 2019 general election

2016 general election

2015 general election

2011 general election

2008 general election

2004 general election

2000 general election

1996 general election

1993 general election

1989 general election

1986 general election

1982 general election

1979 general election

1977 general election

Summary of the 15 June 1977 Senate of Spain election results in Biscay

Candidates	Parties and coalitions		Popular vote
			Votes	%
Y Ramón Rubial Cavia		FA	324,648	58.37
Y Juan María Vidarte de Ugarte		FA	323,081	58.08
Y Mitxel Unzueta Uzcanga		FA	231,619	41.64
Y Martín Fernández Palacio		UCD	111,041	19.96
• Pedro de Zubiría y Garnica		AP	51,633	9.28
• Pablo Lucas Verdú		PSP–US	48,692	8.75
• José María González Barandiarán		AP	48,140	8.65
• Jaime Cibrián Saiz		AP	47,800	8.59
• Luis Arana Zubiria		PCE/EPK	46,583	8.37
• José Unanue Ruiz		PCE/EPK	45,156	8.12
• Juan Miguel Moreno Lombardero		PSP–US	41,133	7.39
• José Rodríguez Martínez		PCE/EPK	40,122	7.21
• Pedro María Carmelo de Irujo Ollo		EAE/ANV	31,534	5.67
• Adolfo Careaga Fontecha		DCV	26,517	4.77
• Isidro Infante Olarte		DCV	23,126	4.16
• Jose Luis Mintegui Iraizoz		ASDCI	18,753	3.37
• Paloma Rodríguez-Escudero Sánchez		DCV	18,503	3.33
• José Luis Pedro Barrado Ibarra		CJA	5,346	0.96
• Manuel García Antuñano		CJA	5,217	0.94
• Armando González Fernández		CJA	5,088	0.91
• Carlos Umaran García-Iturri		CJA	3,062	0.55
Blank ballots
Total			556,235
Valid votes			556,235
Invalid votes
Votes cast / turnout
Abstentions
Registered voters			749,572
Sources[18][19]

See also

• Biscay (Congress of Deputies constituency)
• Biscay (Basque Parliament constituency)

References

1. "Real Decreto 1210/2024, de 28 de noviembre, por el que se declaran oficiales las cifras de población resultantes de la revisión del Padrón municipal referidas al 1 de enero de 2024". Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 December 2024.
2. Law 1/1977 (1977), trans. prov. 1.
3. Const. Esp. (1978), tit. III, ch. I, art. 69.
4. Const. Esp. (1978), tit. VIII, ch. II, art. 141.
5. LOREG (1985), tit. I, ch. I, art. 2.
6. RDL 20/1977 (1977), tit. I, art. 2.
7. Carreras de Odriozola & Tafunell Sambola 2005, p. 1077.
8. LOREG (1985), tit. I, ch. VI, art. 75.
9. Reig Pellicer, Naiara (16 December 2015). "Spanish elections: Begging for the right to vote". cafebabel.co.uk. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
10. Araque Conde, Pilar (8 June 2022). "El Congreso acaba con el voto rogado: diez años de trabas burocráticas para los residentes en el extranjero". Público (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
11. RDL 20/1977 (1977), tit. II, ch. II, art. 19 & 21.
12. LOREG (1985), tit. II, ch. III, art. 162 & 165–166.
13. RDL 20/1977 (1977), tit. III, art. 29.
14. RDL 20/1977 (1977), tit. IV, art. 30–31 & 34.
15. LOREG (1985), tit. I, ch. VI, art. 44 & tit. II, ch. V, art. 169.
16. "Electoral Results Consultation. Senate. 2023". Ministry of the Interior (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 August 2023.
17. "Electoral Results Consultation. Senate. November 2019. Biscay". Ministry of the Interior (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 August 2020.
18. "Electoral Results Consultation. Senate. June 1977. Biscay". Ministry of the Interior (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 July 2020.
19. "Senate election 15 June 1977". historiaelectoral.com (in Spanish). Electoral History. Retrieved 27 July 2020.

Bibliography

• Ley 1/1977, de 4 de enero, para la Reforma Política (Law 1/1977). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish). Vol. 4. 4 January 1977. ISSN 0212-033X. BOE-A-1977-165. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
• Real Decreto-ley 20/1977, de 18 de marzo, sobre Normas Electorales (Royal Decree-Law 20/1977). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish). Vol. 70. 18 March 1977. ISSN 0212-033X. BOE-A-1977-7445. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
• Constitución Española (Spanish Constitution). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish). Vol. 311. 29 December 1978 [latest version]. ISSN 0212-033X. BOE-A-1978-31229. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
• Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General (Organic Law 5/1985). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish). Vol. 147. 19 June 1985 [latest version]. ISSN 0212-033X. BOE-A-1985-11672. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
• Carreras de Odriozola, Albert; Tafunell Sambola, Xavier (2005) [1989]. Estadísticas históricas de España, siglos XIX-XX (PDF) (in Spanish). Vol. 1 (II ed.). Bilbao: Fundación BBVA. pp. 1072–1097. ISBN 84-96515-00-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015.

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