1979 Spanish general election
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A general election was held in Spain on 1 March 1979 to elect the members of the 1st Cortes Generales under the Spanish Constitution of 1978. All 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies were up for election, as well as all 208 seats in the Senate. This was the first election held under the new constitution that had been approved in a referendum on 6 December 1978 and which had lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, resulting in an increase of the electoral roll by three million people.
13.8%
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1 March 1979
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All 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies and all 208 seats in the Senate 176 seats needed for a majority in the Congress of Deputies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Opinion polls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Registered | 26,836,490 13.8% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 18,259,192 (68.0%) 10.8 pp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) remained the largest party, winning 168 of the 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies and 119 of the 208 seats in the Senate. The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), which had merged with the People's Socialist Party (PSP) and was widely expected to make large gains—with some opinion polls predicting a narrow win—fell short of expectations and lost ground when compared to the combined totals for the PSOE–PSP alliance in the 1977 election. The Communist Party of Spain (PCE) obtained the best result in its history, whereas Manuel Fraga's Democratic Coalition (CD)—an electoral bloc formed by the People's Alliance (AP), the Liberal Citizens Action (ACL) and the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP)—lost nearly half of its seats. The election would also see the best showing of the far-right in Spain until the April 2019 election, as Blas Piñar-led National Union (UN) would secure one seat with 2.1% of the vote share.
As a result of the election, Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez went on to form a minority government, depending on support from the CD and other minor parties such as the Socialist Party of Andalusia–Andalusian Party (PSA–PA), the Regionalist Aragonese Party (PAR) and the Navarrese People's Union (UPN).
Overview
Under the 1978 Constitution, the Spanish Cortes Generales were conceived as an imperfect bicameral system.[1][2] The Congress of Deputies held greater legislative power than the Senate, having the ability to grant or withdraw confidence from a prime minister and to override Senate vetoes by an absolute majority.[3] Nonetheless, the Senate retained a limited number of specific functions—such as ratifying international treaties, authorizing cooperation agreements between autonomous communities, enforcing direct rule, regulating interterritorial compensation funds, and taking part in constitutional amendments and in the appointment of members to the Constitutional Court and the General Council of the Judiciary—which were not subject to override by Congress.[4] The electoral and procedural rules were the same as those used in the 1977 election.[5]
Date
The term of the Spanish Cortes elected in the 1977 election was not to be continued beyond 15 June 1981, in the event they were not dissolved earlier.[6] The election decree was required to be issued after the expiration date of parliament, with election day taking place within from 55 to 60 days after the decree's publication in the Official State Gazette (BOE),[7] setting the latest possible date for election day on 14 August 1981.
The prime minister had the prerogative to propose the monarch to dissolve both chambers at any given time—either jointly or separately—and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process, no state of emergency was in force and that dissolution did not occur before one year after a previous one.[8] Additionally, both chambers were to be dissolved, and a new election called, if an investiture process failed to elect a prime minister within a two-month period from the first ballot.[9] Barring this exception, there was no constitutional requirement for simultaneous elections to the Congress and the Senate.[10] Still, as of 2026, there has been no precedent of separate elections taking place under the 1978 Constitution.
The Cortes Generales were officially dissolved on 1 January 1979 with the publication of the corresponding decree in the BOE, setting election day for 1 March.[11] The Congress and the Senate were scheduled to reconvene on 23 and 27 March, respectively.[12]
Electoral system
Voting for each chamber of the Cortes Generales was based on universal suffrage, comprising all Spanish nationals over 18 years of age with full political rights.[13][14]
The Congress of Deputies had a minimum of 300 and a maximum of 400 seats, with electoral provisions fixing its size at 350. Of these, 348 were elected in 50 multi-member constituencies corresponding to the provinces of Spain—each of which was assigned an initial minimum of two seats and the remaining 248 distributed in proportion to population, roughly one seat per 144,500 inhabitants or fraction above 70,000—using the D'Hondt method and closed-list proportional voting, with a three percent-threshold of valid votes (including blank ballots) in each constituency. The remaining two seats were allocated to Ceuta and Melilla as single-member districts elected by plurality voting.[15] The use of this electoral method resulted in a higher effective threshold depending on district magnitude and vote distribution.[16]
As a result of the aforementioned allocation, each Congress multi-member constituency was entitled to the following seats:[17]
| Seats | Constituencies |
|---|---|
| 33 | Barcelona |
| 32 | Madrid |
| 15 | Valencia |
| 12 | Seville |
| 10 | Biscay, Oviedo |
| 9 | Alicante, La Coruña |
| 8 | Cádiz, Málaga, Murcia, Pontevedra, Zaragoza |
| 7 | Badajoz, Córdoba, Granada, Guipúzcoa, Jaén, Santa Cruz de Tenerife |
| 6 | Balearics, Las Palmas, León |
| 5 | Almería, Cáceres, Castellón, Ciudad Real, Gerona, Huelva, Lugo, Navarre, Orense, Santander, Tarragona, Toledo, Valladolid |
| 4 | Álava, Albacete, Burgos, Cuenca, Lérida, Logroño, Salamanca, Zamora |
| 3 | Ávila, Guadalajara, Huesca, Palencia, Segovia, Soria, Teruel |
208 Senate seats were elected using open-list partial block voting: voters in constituencies electing four seats could choose up to three candidates; in those with two or three seats, up to two; and in single-member districts, one. Each of the 47 peninsular provinces was allocated four seats, while in insular provinces—such as the Balearic and Canary Islands—the districts were the islands themselves, with the larger ones (Mallorca, Gran Canaria and Tenerife) being allocated three seats each, and the smaller ones (Menorca, Ibiza–Formentera, Fuerteventura, La Gomera, El Hierro, Lanzarote and La Palma) one each. Ceuta and Melilla elected two seats each. Additionally, autonomous communities could appoint at least one senator each and were entitled to one additional senator for every million inhabitants.[18][19]
The law provided for by-elections to fill vacant seats in the Congress only when results in a constituency were annulled by a final sentence following an electoral petition; otherwise, vacancies arising after the proclamation of candidates and during the legislative term were filled by the next candidates on the party lists or, when required, by designated substitutes. Additionally for the Senate, by-elections were required to fill any seat vacated within the first two years of the legislative term.[20]
Candidates
Nomination rules
Spanish citizens with the right to vote could run for election. Causes of ineligibility applied to the following officials:[21]
- Holders of a number of senior public or institutional posts, including the heads and members of higher courts and state institutions;[e] the Ombudsman; high-ranking officials of government departments and other state agencies; government delegates in the autonomous communities and civil governors; members of electoral commissions; and the chairs of national trade unions;
- Judges and public prosecutors in active service;
- Members of the Armed Forces and law enforcement bodies in active service.
Other ineligibility provisions also applied to a number of territorial officials in these categories within their areas of jurisdiction.[21]
Incompatibility rules included those of ineligibility (except for chairs of national trade unions), and also barred combining legislative roles (deputy and senator).[22]
Parties and lists
The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, alliances and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form an alliance were required to inform the relevant electoral commission within 15 days of the election call, whereas groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of at least one permille—and, in any case, 500 signatures—of the electorate in the constituencies for which they sought election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list.[23]
Below is a list of the main parties and alliances which contested the election:
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Opinion polls
Results
Congress of Deputies
 | ||||||
| Parties and alliances | Popular vote | Seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | ±pp | Total | +/− | ||
| Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) | 6,268,593 | 34.84 | +0.40 | 168 | +3 | |
| Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)1 | 5,469,813 | 30.40 | −3.44 | 121 | −3 | |
| Communist Party of Spain (PCE) | 1,938,487 | 10.77 | +1.44 | 23 | +3 | |
| Democratic Coalition (CD) | 1,094,438 | 6.08 | −2.33 | 9 | −7 | |
| Foral Union of the Basque Country (UFPV)3 | 34,108 | 0.19 | −0.29 | 0 | −1 | |
| Convergence and Union (CiU)4 | 483,353 | 2.69 | −1.06 | 8 | −5 | |
| National Union (UN)5 | 378,964 | 2.11 | +1.54 | 1 | +1 | |
| Socialist Party of Andalusia–Andalusian Party (PSA–PA) | 325,842 | 1.81 | New | 5 | +5 | |
| Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) | 296,597 | 1.65 | +0.03 | 7 | −1 | |
| Party of Labour of Spain (PTE)6 | 192,798 | 1.07 | +0.40 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Popular Unity (HB)7 | 172,110 | 0.96 | +0.72 | 3 | +3 | |
| Workers' Revolutionary Organization (ORT) | 138,487 | 0.77 | +0.22 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Navarrese Left Union (UNAI) | 10,970 | 0.06 | −0.07 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (historical) (PSOEh)9 | 133,869 | 0.74 | +0.05 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Republican Left of Catalonia–National Front of Catalonia (ERC–FNC)10 | 123,452 | 0.69 | −0.10 | 1 | ±0 | |
| Basque Country Left (EE) | 85,677 | 0.48 | +0.14 | 1 | ±0 | |
| Communist Movement–Organization of Communist Left (MC–OIC) | 84,856 | 0.47 | +0.28 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Galician National-Popular Bloc (BNPG) | 60,889 | 0.34 | +0.22 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Canarian People's Union (UPC) | 58,953 | 0.33 | New | 1 | +1 | |
| Left Bloc for National Liberation (BEAN) | 56,582 | 0.31 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Galician Unity (PG–POG–PSG)11 | 55,555 | 0.31 | +0.16 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Republican Left (IR) | 55,384 | 0.31 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Carlist Party (PC) | 50,552 | 0.28 | +0.23 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Communist Organization–Communist Unification (OCEBR–UCE) | 47,937 | 0.27 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Workers' Communist Party (PCT) | 47,896 | 0.27 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Regionalist Aragonese Party (PAR)12 | 38,042 | 0.21 | +0.01 | 1 | ±0 | |
| Revolutionary Communist League (LCR)13 | 36,662 | 0.20 | −0.02 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (Authentic) (FE–JONS(A)) | 30,252 | 0.17 | −0.08 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Navarrese People's Union (UPN) | 28,248 | 0.16 | New | 1 | +1 | |
| Coalition for Aragon (PSAr–PSDA) | 19,220 | 0.11 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Nationalist Party of Castile and León (PANCAL) | 16,016 | 0.09 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Liberal Party (PL) | 15,774 | 0.09 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Valencian Regional Union (URV) | 15,694 | 0.09 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Nationalist Party of the Valencian Country (PNPV) | 13,828 | 0.08 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Spanish Ruralist Party (PRE) | 10,324 | 0.06 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Party of the Canarian Country (PPC) | 10,099 | 0.06 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Socialists of Majorca and Menorca (SMiM) | 10,022 | 0.06 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Syndicalist Party (PSIN) | 9,777 | 0.05 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Union for the Freedom of Speech (ULE) | 7,126 | 0.04 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Catalan State (EC) | 6,328 | 0.04 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Cantonal Party (PCAN) | 6,290 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Independent Candidacy of the Countryside (CIC) | 6,115 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Social Christian Democracy of Catalonia (DSCC) | 4,976 | 0.03 | −0.02 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Proverist Party (PPr) | 4,939 | 0.03 | ±0.00 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Spanish Democratic Republican Action (ARDE) | 4,826 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Communist League (LC) | 3,614 | 0.02 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Asturian Nationalist Council (CNA) | 3,049 | 0.02 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Authentic Spanish Phalanx (FEA) | 2,736 | 0.02 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Pro-Austerity Policy Political Party (PIPPA) | 2,409 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Workers and Peasants Party (POC) | 2,314 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Independent Candidates of Melilla (CIME) | 1,820 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Falangist Unity–Independent Spanish Phalanx (UF–FI–AT) | 1,188 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Spanish Phalanx–Falangist Unity (FE–UF) | 876 | 0.00 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Centre Independent Candidacy (CIC) | n/a | n/a | −0.16 | 0 | −1 | |
| Blank ballots | 57,267 | 0.32 | +0.07 | |||
| Total | 17,990,915 | 350 | ±0 | |||
| Valid votes | 17,990,915 | 98.53 | −0.04 | |||
| Invalid votes | 268,277 | 1.47 | +0.04 | |||
| Votes cast / turnout | 18,259,192 | 68.04 | −10.79 | |||
| Abstentions | 8,577,298 | 31.96 | +10.79 | |||
| Registered voters | 26,836,490 | |||||
| Sources[25][26] | ||||||
Footnotes:
| ||||||
Senate
 | ||||||
| Parties and alliances | Popular vote | Seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | ±pp | Total | +/− | ||
| Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) | 16,691,333 | 33.23 | +3.35 | 119 | +13 | |
| Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)1 | 12,762,128 | 25.41 | −4.28 | 60 | −1 | |
| Communist Party of Spain (PCE) | 4,407,905 | 8.78 | +6.82 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Democratic Coalition (CD) | 2,897,073 | 5.77 | −3.45 | 3 | +1 | |
| Foral Union of the Basque Country (UFPV)3 | 45,707 | 0.09 | −0.43 | 0 | ±0 | |
| New Agreement (PSC–ERC)4 | 2,708,504 | 5.39 | n/a | 10 | +2 | |
| For the Agreement (PSUC–PTC)4 | 1,832,941 | 3.65 | n/a | 1 | −3 | |
| Convergence and Union (CiU)5 | 1,387,176 | 2.76 | +0.21 | 1 | −1 | |
| National Union (UN)6 | 1,089,883 | 2.17 | +1.10 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Socialist Party of Andalusia–Andalusian Party (PSA–PA) | 1,026,345 | 2.04 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV)7 | 843,452 | 1.68 | −1.63 | 8 | −2 | |
| Popular Unity (HB)8 | 465,852 | 0.93 | +0.74 | 1 | +1 | |
| Party of Labour of Spain (PTE)9 | 412,782 | 0.82 | +0.57 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Workers' Revolutionary Organization (ORT) | 290,967 | 0.58 | −0.04 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Navarrese Left Union (UNAI) | 14,510 | 0.03 | −0.17 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Communist Movement–Organization of Communist Left (MC–OIC) | 257,830 | 0.51 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Basque Country Left (EE) | 209,107 | 0.42 | +0.18 | 0 | −1 | |
| Republican Left (IR) | 205,512 | 0.41 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Galician National-Popular Bloc (BNPG) | 196,920 | 0.39 | +0.07 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (historical) (PSOEh)11 | 179,519 | 0.36 | −0.82 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Galician Unity (PG–POG–PSG) | 177,549 | 0.35 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Navarrese Unity (UNA) | 137,275 | 0.27 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Spanish Phalanx–Falangist Unity (FE–UF) | 130,616 | 0.26 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Regionalist Aragonese Party (PAR)12 | 117,150 | 0.23 | −0.37 | 0 | −1 | |
| Valencian Regional Union (URV) | 116,386 | 0.23 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Canarian People's Union (UPC) | 115,878 | 0.23 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Liberal Party (PL) | 110,347 | 0.22 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Revolutionary Communist League (LCR) | 109,118 | 0.22 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Regionalist Party of Cantabria (PRC) | 90,065 | 0.18 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Navarrese People's Union (UPN) | 84,289 | 0.17 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Carlist Party (PC) | 84,028 | 0.17 | +0.10 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Spanish Democratic Republican Action (ARDE) | 73,308 | 0.15 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (Authentic) (FE–JONS(A)) | 70,659 | 0.14 | +0.14 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Group of Independent Electors (ADEI)13 | 63,257 | 0.13 | −0.02 | 3 | −1 | |
| Left Bloc for National Liberation (BEAN) | 54,055 | 0.11 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Authentic Spanish Phalanx (FEA) | 49,190 | 0.10 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Coalition for Aragon (PSAr–PSDA) | 48,031 | 0.10 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Communist Organization–Communist Unification (OCEBR–UCE) | 41,656 | 0.08 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Spanish Ruralist Party (PRE) | 40,086 | 0.08 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Union for the Freedom of Speech (ULE) | 38,968 | 0.08 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Pro-Austerity Policy Political Party (PIPPA) | 36,280 | 0.07 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Independent (INDEP) | 32,055 | 0.06 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Social Christian Democracy of Catalonia (DSCC) | 29,367 | 0.06 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Galician Democratic Candidacy (CDG) | 26,426 | 0.05 | −1.11 | 0 | −3 | |
| Party of the Canarian Country (PPC) | 25,960 | 0.05 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Independent (INDEP) | 21,891 | 0.04 | New | 1 | +1 | |
| Socialist Party of Majorca (PSM) | 19,753 | 0.04 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Workers' Communist Party (PCT) | 17,888 | 0.04 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Salamancan Regionalist Candidacy (CRS) | 17,019 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Independent (INDEP) | 14,758 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Menorcan Progressive Candidacy (PSM–PSOE–PCIB–PTI) | 11,745 | 0.02 | New | 1 | +1 | |
| Independent Candidacy of the Countryside (CIC) | 10,333 | 0.02 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Nationalist Party of Castile and León (PANCAL) | 8,795 | 0.02 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Asturian Nationalist Council (CNA) | 8,309 | 0.02 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Entirely Anti-Partisan (EA) | 7,931 | 0.02 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Independent Progressive Candidacy (CPI) | 7,763 | 0.02 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Independent (INDEP) | 7,266 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| New National Left (NIN) | 7,053 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Catalan State (EC) | 6,998 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Riojan Autonomy (AR) | 6,835 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Independent (INDEP) | 5,263 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Zamorans for Zamora–Independent Candidacy (ZZ) | 5,125 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| National Front of Catalonia (FNC) | 4,566 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Majorera Assembly (AM) | 4,458 | 0.01 | ±0.00 | 0 | −1 | |
| Spanish Communist Workers' Party (PCOE) | 3,431 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Independent (INDEP) | 3,416 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Canarian Nationalist Party (PNC) | 3,141 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Independent (INDEP) | 1,698 | 0.00 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Proverist Party (PPr) | 242 | 0.00 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Xirinacs Electoral Group (AE Xirinacs) | n/a | n/a | −1.06 | 0 | −1 | |
| Aragonese Candidacy of Democratic Unity (CAUD) | n/a | n/a | −1.04 | 0 | −3 | |
| Blank ballots[r] | 259,613 | 1.48 | ||||
| Total | 50,232,518 | 208 | +1 | |||
| Valid votes | 17,588,988 | 97.20 | ||||
| Invalid votes | 507,434 | 2.80 | ||||
| Votes cast / turnout | 18,096,422 | 67.43 | ||||
| Abstentions | 8,740,068 | 32.57 | ||||
| Registered voters | 23,583,762 | |||||
| Sources[25][26][27][28] | ||||||
Footnotes:
| ||||||
Maps
Election results by constituency (Congress).
Vote winner strength by constituency (Congress).
Vote winner strength by autonomous community (Congress).[d]
Aftermath
Government formation
| Investiture Congress of Deputies Nomination of Adolfo Suárez (UCD) | ||
| Ballot → | 30 March 1979 | |
|---|---|---|
| Required majority → | 176 out of 350  | |
183 / 350 | ||
149 / 350 | ||
Abstentions
|
8 / 350 | |
10 / 350 | ||
| Sources[29] | ||
1980 motion of no confidence
| Motion of no confidence Congress of Deputies Nomination of Felipe González (PSOE) | ||
| Ballot → | 30 May 1980 | |
|---|---|---|
| Required majority → | 176 out of 350  | |
152 / 350 | ||
No
|
166 / 350 | |
21 / 350 | ||
11 / 350 | ||
| Sources[29] | ||
1980 motion of confidence
| Motion of confidence Congress of Deputies General Policy Statement (Prime Minister) | ||
| Ballot → | 18 September 1980 | |
|---|---|---|
| Required majority → | Simple | |
Yes
|
180 / 350 | |
164 / 350 | ||
Abstentions
|
2 / 350 | |
4 / 350 | ||
| Sources[29] | ||
1981 investiture
| Investiture Congress of Deputies Nomination of Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo (UCD) | ||||
| Ballot → | 21 February 1981 | 23 February 1981 | 25 February 1981 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Required majority → | 176 out of 350 |
Simple | ||
169 / 350 |
 Cancelled(as a result of a coup attempt) |
186 / 350 | ||
158 / 350 |
158 / 350 | |||
17 / 350 |
0 / 350 | |||
6 / 350 |
6 / 350 | |||
| Sources[29] | ||||
Notes
- This territorial division is based on the autonomic system established under the Spanish Constitution of 1978, as opposed to the regional division established in 1833. Most autonomous communities would be constituted by the time of the 1982 election, with the rest being established in early 1983. The autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla would not be constituted as independent administrative entities until 1995.
- These comprised the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Council of State, the Court of Auditors and the Council of National Economy.
- PSC–PSOE (7 senators) and ERC (1 senator), which contested the 1977 Senate election within the Entesa alliance, joined the Nova Entesa alliance ahead of the 1979 Senate election.
- PSUC (4 senators), which contested the 1977 Senate election within the Entesa alliance, joined the Per l'Entesa alliance ahead of the 1979 Senate election.
- The percentage of blank ballots is calculated over the official number of valid votes cast, irrespective of the total number of votes shown as a result of adding up the individual results for each party.
