The constituency was created as per the
Statute of Autonomy for the Basque Country of 1979 and was first contested in the
1980 regional election. The Statute provided for the three
provinces in the
Basque Country—
Álava,
Biscay and
Gipuzkoa—to be established as multi-member districts in the
Basque Parliament, with this regulation being maintained under the 1983 and 1990 regional electoral laws. Each constituency is allocated a fixed number of 25 seats each, to provide for an equal representation of the three provinces in Parliament as required under the regional Statute. The exception was the 1980 election, when this number was 60.[3][4][5]
Voting is on the basis of
universal suffrage, which comprises all nationals over eighteen, registered in the Basque Country and in full enjoyment of their political rights. Amendments to the electoral law in 2011 required for
Basques abroad to
apply for voting before being permitted to vote, a system known as "begged" or expat vote (
Spanish: Voto rogado) which was abolished in 2022.[6][7] Seats are elected using the
D'Hondt method and a
closed listproportional representation, with an
electoral threshold of three percent of valid votes—which, until 1983 and from 1990 includes blank ballots; also and until a 2000 reform, the threshold was set at five percent—being applied in each constituency.[3][4][5] The use of the D'Hondt method may result in a higher effective threshold, depending on the
district magnitude.[8]
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-thousandth of the electorate, with a compulsory minimum of 500 signatures, until 1983; and only the signature of 500 electors from 1983 to 1990—disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates.[4][5][9][10]
3 The 1983 electoral law provided that blank ballots would not count as valid votes for the application of the 5 percent threshold in each district. However, this rule was not determinant in excluding any party from seat distribution during its time of application (the 1984 and 1986 elections). As a result, and for comparison purposes, blank ballots are shown here included within valid votes.
3 The 1983 electoral law provided that blank ballots would not count as valid votes for the application of the 5 percent threshold in each district. However, this rule was not determinant in excluding any party from seat distribution during its time of application (the 1984 and 1986 elections). As a result, and for comparison purposes, blank ballots are shown here included within valid votes.
The constituency was created as per the
Statute of Autonomy for the Basque Country of 1979 and was first contested in the
1980 regional election. The Statute provided for the three
provinces in the
Basque Country—
Álava,
Biscay and
Gipuzkoa—to be established as multi-member districts in the
Basque Parliament, with this regulation being maintained under the 1983 and 1990 regional electoral laws. Each constituency is allocated a fixed number of 25 seats each, to provide for an equal representation of the three provinces in Parliament as required under the regional Statute. The exception was the 1980 election, when this number was 60.[3][4][5]
Voting is on the basis of
universal suffrage, which comprises all nationals over eighteen, registered in the Basque Country and in full enjoyment of their political rights. Amendments to the electoral law in 2011 required for
Basques abroad to
apply for voting before being permitted to vote, a system known as "begged" or expat vote (
Spanish: Voto rogado) which was abolished in 2022.[6][7] Seats are elected using the
D'Hondt method and a
closed listproportional representation, with an
electoral threshold of three percent of valid votes—which, until 1983 and from 1990 includes blank ballots; also and until a 2000 reform, the threshold was set at five percent—being applied in each constituency.[3][4][5] The use of the D'Hondt method may result in a higher effective threshold, depending on the
district magnitude.[8]
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-thousandth of the electorate, with a compulsory minimum of 500 signatures, until 1983; and only the signature of 500 electors from 1983 to 1990—disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates.[4][5][9][10]
3 The 1983 electoral law provided that blank ballots would not count as valid votes for the application of the 5 percent threshold in each district. However, this rule was not determinant in excluding any party from seat distribution during its time of application (the 1984 and 1986 elections). As a result, and for comparison purposes, blank ballots are shown here included within valid votes.
3 The 1983 electoral law provided that blank ballots would not count as valid votes for the application of the 5 percent threshold in each district. However, this rule was not determinant in excluding any party from seat distribution during its time of application (the 1984 and 1986 elections). As a result, and for comparison purposes, blank ballots are shown here included within valid votes.