2015 Riojan regional election

Election in the Spanish region of La Rioja From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 2015 Riojan regional election was held on 24 May 2015 to elect the 9th Parliament of the autonomous community of La Rioja. All 33 seats in the Parliament were up for election. It was held concurrently with regional elections in twelve other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

Registered247,663 Increase 2.3%
Turnout166,649 (67.3%)
Decrease 2.5 pp
Quick facts All 33 seats in the Parliament of La Rioja 17 seats needed for a majority, Registered ...
2015 Riojan regional election

 2011
24 May 2015
2019 

All 33 seats in the Parliament of La Rioja
17 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered247,663 Increase 2.3%
Turnout166,649 (67.3%)
Decrease 2.5 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Pedro Sanz Concha Andreu Germán Cantabrana
Party PP PSOE Podemos
Leader since 2 October 1993 19 October 2014 14 April 2015
Last election 20 seats, 52.0% 11 seats, 30.3% Did not contest
Seats won 15 10 4
Seat change Decrease 5 Decrease 1 Increase 4
Popular vote 63,094 43,689 18,319
Percentage 38.6% 26.7% 11.2%
Swing Decrease 13.4 pp Decrease 3.6 pp New party

  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Leader Diego Ubis Miguel González de Legarra
Party C's PR+
Leader since 8 March 2015 16 December 1995
Last election Did not contest 2 seats, 5.4%
Seats won 4 0
Seat change Increase 4 Decrease 2
Popular vote 17,042 7,277
Percentage 10.4% 4.5%
Swing New party Decrease 0.9 pp

President before election

Pedro Sanz
PP

Elected President

José Ignacio Ceniceros
PP

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Reflecting a national trend, the governing People's Party (PP) and the opposition Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) both lost support, to the benefit of the new left-wing party Podemos (Spanish for "We can") and the centrist party Citizens (C's). The PP retained the largest number of seats, but lost its overall majority for the first time since 1995.

Overview

Electoral system

The Parliament of La Rioja was the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of La Rioja, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Riojan Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a President of the Autonomous Community.[1] Voting for the Parliament was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered in La Rioja and in full enjoyment of their political rights. Additionally, Riojans abroad were required to apply for voting before being permitted to vote, a system known as "begged" or expat vote (Spanish: Voto rogado).[2]

The 33 members of the Parliament of La Rioja were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with an electoral threshold of five percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied regionally.[1][3]

The electoral law provided that parties, federations, coalitions and groupings of electors were allowed to present lists of candidates. However, groupings of electors were required to secure the signature of at least 1 percent of the electors registered in La Rioja. Electors were barred from signing for more than one list of candidates. Concurrently, parties and federations intending to enter in coalition to take part jointly at an election were required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election being called.[3][4][5]

Election date

The term of the Parliament of La Rioja expired four years after the date of its previous election. Elections to the Parliament were fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years. The previous election was held on 22 May 2011, setting the election date for the Parliament on 24 May 2015.[1][3][4][5]

The President of the Autonomous Community had the prerogative to dissolve the Parliament of La Rioja and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process, no nationwide election was due and some time requirements were met: namely, that dissolution did not occur either during the first legislative session or within the legislature's last year ahead of its scheduled expiry, nor before one year had elapsed since a previous dissolution. In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional President within a two-month period from the first ballot, the Parliament was to be automatically dissolved and a fresh election called. Any snap election held as a result of these circumstances would not alter the period to the next ordinary election, with elected lawmakers serving the remainder of its original four-year term.[1]

Opinion polls

The table below lists voting intention estimates in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first and using the dates when the survey fieldwork was done, as opposed to the date of publication. Where the fieldwork dates are unknown, the date of publication is given instead. The highest percentage figure in each polling survey is displayed with its background shaded in the leading party's colour. If a tie ensues, this is applied to the figures with the highest percentages. The "Lead" column on the right shows the percentage-point difference between the parties with the highest percentages in a poll. When available, seat projections determined by the polling organisations are displayed below (or in place of) the percentages in a smaller font; 17 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Parliament of La Rioja.

Color key:

  Poll conducted after legal ban on opinion polls

More information Polling firm/Commissioner, Fieldwork date ...
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Results

More information Parties and alliances, Popular vote ...
Summary of the 24 May 2015 Parliament of La Rioja election results
Parties and alliances Popular vote Seats
Votes % ±pp Total +/−
People's Party (PP) 63,09438.62−13.36 15−5
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) 43,68926.74−3.59 10−1
We Can (Podemos) 18,31911.21New 4+4
Citizens–Party of the Citizenry (C's) 17,04210.43New 4+4
Riojan Party (PR+) 7,2774.45−0.98 0−2
Change La Rioja–United LeftEquo (CR–IU–Equo) 6,7974.16+0.46 0±0
Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD) 2,0051.23−2.33 0±0
Animalist Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (PACMA) 1,2050.74+0.40 0±0
Blank Seats (EB) 5250.32New 0±0
Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE) 4810.29±0.00 0±0
Blank ballots 2,9331.80−0.92
Total 163,367 33±0
Valid votes 163,36798.03+0.05
Invalid votes 3,2821.97−0.05
Votes cast / turnout 166,64967.29−2.47
Abstentions 81,01432.71+2.47
Registered voters 247,663
Sources[6][7]
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Popular vote
PP
38.62%
PSOE
26.74%
Podemos
11.21%
C's
10.43%
PR+
4.45%
CR–IUEquo
4.16%
UPyD
1.23%
Others
1.35%
Blank ballots
1.80%
Seats
PP
45.45%
PSOE
30.30%
Podemos
12.12%
C's
12.12%

Aftermath

More information Ballot →, 1 July 2015 ...
Investiture
José Ignacio Ceniceros (PP)
Ballot → 1 July 2015 3 July 2015
Required majority → 17 out of 33 ☒N Simple checkY
Yes
  • PP (15)
15 / 33
15 / 33
No
14 / 33
14 / 33
Abstentions
4 / 33
4 / 33
Absentees
0 / 33
0 / 33
Sources[7]
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References

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