| Country: | Czech Republic |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Election Date: | 15–16 November 1996 (first round) |
| Next Election: | Czech Senate election, 1998 |
| Next Year: | 1998 |
| 1Blank: | First round |
| 2Blank: | Second round |
| Leader1: | Václav Klaus |
| Party1: | Civic Democratic Party (Czech Republic) |
| Seats1: | 32 |
| 1Data1: | 1,006,036 36.48% |
| 2Data1: | 1,134,044 49.15% |
| Leader2: | Miloš Zeman |
| Party2: | Czech Social Democratic Party |
| Seats2: | 25 |
| 1Data2: | 559,304 20.28% |
| 2Data2: | 733,713 31.80% |
| Leader3: | Josef Lux |
| Party3: | Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party |
| Seats3: | 13 |
| 1Data3: | 274,316 9.95% |
| 2Data3: | 247,819 10.74% |
| Leader4: | Jan Kalvoda |
| Party4: | Civic Democratic Alliance |
| Seats4: | 7 |
| 1Data4: | 222,319 8.06% |
| 2Data4: | 119,730 5.19% |
| Leader5: | Miroslav Grebeníček |
| Party5: | Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia |
| Seats5: | 2 |
| 1Data5: | 393,494 14.27% |
| 2Data5: | 45,304 1.96% |
Senate elections were held in the Czech Republic for the first time on 15 and 16 November 1996, with a second round on 22 and 23 November.[1] the first after independence. The result was a victory for the Civic Democratic Party, which won 32 of the 81 seats. Voter turnout was 34.9% in the first round and 30.6% in the second.[2]
This was the only time Senate elections were held in all 81 single-member constituencies at the same time. Senators elected in 1996 were divided into three classes depending on number of their constituencies to determine which Senate seats would be up for election in 1998, 2000 and 2002. Senators in the Czech Republic are elected for six-year terms, with one-third being renewed every two years.
The elections were held using the two-round system, with an absolute majority required to be elected.
| Date | Polling firm | ODS | ČSSD | KSČM | KDU-ČSL | ODA | SPR-RSČ | Others/Undecided | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| < | --colour taken from the official ODS website.--> | < | --colour taken from the official ČSSD logo.--> | < | --colour taken from the official KSČM website.--> | < | --colour taken from the official KDU-ČSL logo.--> | |||
| August 1996 | IVVM[3] | 15.7 | 10.4 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 65.9 | ||
| September 1996 | IVVM | 38.4 | 21.0 | 15.3 | 8.4 | 6.6 | 2.3 | 8.0 | ||
| October 1996 | IVVM | 34.6 | 25.7 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 8.6 | 1.1 | 6.6 | ||
| November 1996 | IVVM | 40.8 | 24.1 | 11.8 | 9.9 | 8.0 | 1.6 | 3.8 |