- Salamanca (Spanish Congress Electoral District)
Salamanca is one of the 52 electoral districts (circunscripciónes) used for the Spanish Congress of Deputies - the lower chamber of the Spanish Parliament, the
Cortes Generales . It is one of the nine electoral districts which correspond to the provinces ofCastile and León .Salamanca is the largest municipality accounting for 140,000 voters - 45% of the total electorate. Salamanca was one of only four districts (along with Vizcaya, Burgos and Cuenca) where the electorate fell between 2000 and 2004.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 province of Salamanca and under Article 140 this can only be altered with the approval of congress. Voting is on the basis of
universal suffrage in asecret ballot . The electoral system used isclosed list proportional representation with seats allocated using theD'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
Salamanca has returned four members at every election since the restoration of democracy.
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 has been to overrepreseent smaller provinces like Salamanca at the expense of larger provinces. Salamanca had a ratio of 78,106 voters per deputy in 2004 [ [http://electionresources.org/es/congress.php?election=2004&province=37 Salamanca election result 2004] ] a figure below the Spanish average of 98,777 voters per deputy. [http://www.electionresources.org/es/congress.php?election=2004 2004 Spanish election] ]
ummary of seats won 1977–2008
Seats shown for the Peoples Party include seats won by their predecessors the Popular Alliance in 1982 and the Popular Coalition in 1986.
Results
Although the PSOE topped the poll in their two best elections in 1982 and 1986, Salamanca has generally favoured the parties of the centre right who have topped the poll at every other election since the restoration of democracy. In 2004, PP led by 12% in Salamanca municipality - a figure quite close to the average.
electiontable|Spanish congress election, 2004"'Summary of the 14 March 2004 Congress of Deputies election results in Salamanca.
-!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)
align="right" |128,932
align="right" |54.25
align="right" |2
align="left" |
-
align=left|Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Español)
align="right" |94,655
align="right" |39.83
align="right" |2
align="left" |
-
align=left|United Left
align="right" |4,713
align="right" |1.98
align="right" |0
align="left" |
-
align=left|Others
align="right" |4,661
align="right" |1.95
align="right" |0
align="right"
-Source: [ [http://www.elecciones.mir.es/MIR/jsp/resultados/index.htm Interior ministry link to election results] ]
electiontable|Spanish congress election, 2000"'Summary of the 12 March 2000 Congress of Deputies election results in Salamanca.
-!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)
align="right" |130,360
align="right" |58.52
align="right" |3
align="left" |
-
align=left|Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Español)
align="right" |72,769
align="right" |32.67
align="right" |1
align="left" |
-
align=left|United Left
align="right" |8,195
align="right" |3.68
align="right" |0
align="left" |
-
align=left|Others
align="right" |6,811
align="right" |3.10
align="right" |0
align="right"
-External links
* [http://www.congreso.es/portal/page/portal/Congreso/Congreso/Diputados/DipCircuns List of members by year]
* [http://www.ine.es/censoe/elec2000/00mun37.htm Number of voters by Municipality]References
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