Navarra (Spanish Congress Electoral District)

Navarra (also called Navarre in English and Nafarroa in Basque) is one of the 52 electoral districts (circunscripciones) used for the Spanish Congress of Deputies - the lower chamber of the Spanish Parliament, the Cortes Generales. The largest city is Pamplona where a third of the electorate live.

Boundaries and electoral system

Under Article 68 of the Spanish constitution [ [http://www.mir.es/DGPI/Normativa/Normativa_Estatal/Constitucion_Espanola/constitucion_espanola.html Spanish Constitution] ] the boundaries must be the same as the autonomous community of Navarra and under Article 140 this can only be altered with the approval of congress. Voting is on the basis of universal suffrage in a secret ballot. The electoral system used is closed list proportional representation with seats allocated using the D'Hondt method. Only lists which poll 3% or more of all valid votes cast, including votes "en blanco" i.e. for "none of the above" can be considered for seats. Under article 12 of the constitution, the minimum voting age is 18.

Eligibility

Article 67.3 of the Spanish Constitution prohibits dual membership of the Cortes and regional assemblies, meaning that candidates must resign from Regional Assemblies if successfully elected. Article 70 also makes active judges, magistrates, public defenders, serving military personnel, active police officers and members of constitutional and electoral tribunals ineligible. [ [http://www.mir.es/DGPI/Normativa/Normativa_Estatal/Constitucion_Espanola/constitucion_espanola.html Spanish Constitution] ]

Number of members

Navarra has returned five members at each general election since the restoration of democracy in 1977.

Under Spanish electoral law, all provinces are entitled to a minimum of 2 seats with a remaining 248 seats apportioned according to population. [ [http://electionresources.org/es/index_en.html General features of Spanish electoral system] ] These laws are laid out in detail in the 1985 electoral law. (Ley Orgánica del Régimen Electoral General) The practical effect of this law has been to overrepresent smaller provinces at the expense of larger provinces.

Navarra had a ratio of 94,812 voters per deputy in 2008 [ [http://electionresources.org/es/congress.php?election=2008&province=31 Navarra election result 2008] ] a figure slightly below the Spanish average of 100,209 voters per deputy [http://www.electionresources.org/es/congress.php?election=2008 2008 Spanish election] ] .

ummary of seats won 1977–2008

=2004 General Election=

electiontable|Spanish congress election, 2004"'Summary of the 14 March 2004 Congress of Deputies election results in Navarra.
-!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Parties and alliances!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|%!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Seats!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Members elected
-
align=left| People's Party (Partido Popular) - Navarrese People's Union (UPN)
align="right" |127,653
align="right" |37.60
align="right" |2
align="left" |
-
align=left|Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Español)
align="right" |113,906
align="right" |33.55
align="right" |2
align="left" |
-
align=left|Navarre Yes (Nafarroa Bai)
align="right" |61,045
align="right" |17.98
align="right" |1
align="left" |
-
align=left|United Left-Nafarroa Ezker Batua
align="right" |19,899
align="right" |5.86
align="right" |0
align="left" |
-
align=left|Others
align="right" |10,266
align="right" |3.00
align="right" |0
align="right"
-

Source: [ [http://www.elecciones.mir.es/MIR/jsp/resultados/index.htm Interior ministry link to election results] ]

External links

* [http://www.congreso.es/portal/page/portal/Congreso/Congreso/Diputados/DipCircuns List of members by year]
* [http://www.ine.es/censoe/elec2000/00mun31.htm Number of voters by Municipality]

References