| Election Name: | 2023 Riojan regional election |
| Country: | La Rioja (Spain) |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2019 Riojan regional election |
| Previous Year: | 2019 |
| Seats For Election: | All 33 seats in the Parliament of La Rioja |
| Majority Seats: | 17 |
| Opinion Polls: |
|
| Registered: | 251,919 0.8% |
| Turnout: | 170,779 (67.8%) 1.9 pp |
| Election Date: | 28 May 2023 |
| Leader1: | Gonzalo Capellán |
| Party1: | People's Party of La Rioja |
| Leader Since1: | 13 October 2022 |
| Last Election1: | 12 seats, 33.1% |
| Seats1: | 17 |
| Seat Change1: | 5 |
| Popular Vote1: | 76,205 |
| Percentage1: | 45.4% |
| Swing1: | 12.3 pp |
| Leader2: | Concha Andreu |
| Party2: | Socialist Party of La Rioja |
| Leader Since2: | 19 October 2014 |
| Last Election2: | 15 seats, 38.7% |
| Seats2: | 12 |
| Seat Change2: | 3 |
| Popular Vote2: | 53,562 |
| Percentage2: | 31.9% |
| Swing2: | 6.8 pp |
| Leader3: | Ángel Alda |
| Party3: | Vox (political party) |
| Leader Since3: | 13 February 2023 |
| Last Election3: | 0 seats, 3.9% |
| Seats3: | 2 |
| Seat Change3: | 2 |
| Popular Vote3: | 12,773 |
| Percentage3: | 7.6% |
| Swing3: | 3.7 pp |
| Leader4: | Henar Moreno |
| Party4: | Podemos–IU |
| Leader Since4: | 5 April 2022 |
| Last Election4: | 2 seats, 6.6% |
| Seats4: | 2 |
| Seat Change4: | 0 |
| Popular Vote4: | 8,543 |
| Percentage4: | 5.1% |
| Swing4: | 1.5 pp |
| Leader5: | Ángel Daniel Íñiguez |
| Party5: | CS |
| Leader Since5: | 13 February 2023 |
| Last Election5: | 4 seats, 11.5% |
| Seats5: | 0 |
| Seat Change5: | 4 |
| Popular Vote5: | 1,473 |
| Percentage5: | 0.9% |
| Swing5: | 10.6 pp |
| President | |
| Before Election: | Concha Andreu |
| Before Party: | Socialist Party of La Rioja |
| After Election: | Gonzalo Capellán |
| After Party: | People's Party of La Rioja |
The 2023 Riojan regional election was held on Sunday, 28 May 2023, to elect the 11th Parliament of the autonomous community of La Rioja. All 33 seats in the Parliament were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in eleven other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.
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 regional president.[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. Amendments to the electoral law in 2022 abolished the "begged" or expat vote system (Spanish; Castilian: Voto rogado), under which Spaniards abroad were required to apply for voting before being permitted to vote.[2] The expat vote system was attributed responsibility for a major decrease in the turnout of Spaniards abroad during the years it had been in force.[3]
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] [4]
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 26 May 2019, setting the election date for the Parliament on Sunday, 28 May 2023.[1] [4] [5]
The president 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 deputies merely serving out what remained of their four-year terms.[1]
The election to the Parliament of La Rioja was officially triggered on 4 April 2023 after the publication of the election decree in the Official Gazette of La Rioja (BOR), scheduling for the chamber to convene on 22 June.[6]
The electoral law allowed 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 were required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election call, whereas groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of at least one percent of the electorate in La Rioja, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates.[4] [5]
Below is a list of the main parties and electoral alliances which contested the election:
| Candidacy | Parties and alliances | Leading candidate | Ideology | Previous result | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes (%) | Seats | |||||||||
| PSOE | Concha Andreu | Social democracy | 38.67% | [7] | ||||||
| PP | Gonzalo Capellán | Conservatism Christian democracy | 33.06% | [8] [9] | ||||||
| CS | Ángel Daniel Íñiguez | Liberalism | 11.53% | [10] | ||||||
| Podemos–IU | Henar Moreno | Left-wing populism Direct democracy Democratic socialism | 6.65% | [11] | ||||||
| PR+EV | Inmaculada Sáenz | Regionalism Progressivism | 4.61% | [12] [13] [14] | ||||||
| Vox | Ángel Alda | Right-wing populism Ultranationalism National conservatism | 3.87% | [15] | ||||||
The tables below list opinion polling results 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.
The table below lists weighted voting intention estimates. Refusals are generally excluded from the party vote percentages, while question wording and the treatment of "don't know" responses and those not intending to vote may vary between polling organisations. 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.
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Turnout | PLRi | Lead | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 regional election | 28 May 2023 | 67.8 | 31.9 | 45.4 | 0.9 | 5.1 | 3.6 | 7.6 | 2.6 | 13.5 | ||
| NC Report/La Razón[17] | 22 May 2023 | ? | ? | 33.8 | 43.1 | – | 5.4 | 6.0 | 6.7 | – | 9.3 | |
| KeyData/Público[18] | 18 May 2023 | ? | 69.7 | 34.8 | 42.5 | 2.2 | 5.5 | 4.9 | 6.5 | – | 7.7 | |
| ElectoPanel/El Plural[19] [20] | 11–17 May 2023 | 600 | ? | 37.0 | 39.7 | 2.1 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 6.8 | 3.0 | 2.7 | |
| ElectoPanel/El Plural[21] [22] | 4–10 May 2023 | 600 | ? | 37.3 | 39.3 | 2.3 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 6.7 | 3.1 | 2.0 | |
| SW Demoscopia/Cadena SER[23] | 24 Apr–5 May 2023 | 1,741 | ? | 39.7 | 39.9 | 1.1 | 5.5 | 3.6 | 5.9 | 1.1 | 0.2 | |
| GAD3/ABC[24] | 28 Apr–3 May 2023 | 1,004 | ? | 34.0 | 42.1 | – | 5.5 | 5.1 | 7.9 | – | 8.1 | |
| ElectoPanel/El Plural[25] [26] | 26 Apr–3 May 2023 | 600 | ? | 37.6 | 42.0 | 2.4 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 6.1 | 2.9 | 4.4 | |
| Simple Lógica/elDiario.es[27] | 18–26 Apr 2023 | 457 | ? | 35.6 | 41.2 | 1.4 | 6.8 | 5.4 | 7.1 | – | 5.6 | |
| CIS[28] [29] | 10–26 Apr 2023 | 466 | ? | 36.8 | 39.2 | 2.5 | 9.9 | 3.6 | 5.6 | – | 2.4 | |
| ElectoPanel/El Plural[30] [31] | 19–25 Apr 2023 | 600 | ? | 36.1 | 40.8 | 2.5 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 5.9 | 3.7 | 4.7 | |
| ElectoPanel/El Plural[32] [33] | 12–18 Apr 2023 | 600 | ? | 36.2 | 41.6 | 2.5 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 2.9 | 5.4 | |
| ElectoPanel/El Plural[34] [35] | 5–11 Apr 2023 | 600 | ? | 36.5 | 41.1 | 2.3 | 6.0 | 5.2 | 6.0 | 2.8 | 4.6 | |
| ElectoPanel/El Plural[36] [37] | 27 Mar–4 Apr 2023 | 600 | ? | 37.4 | 42.5 | 2.8 | 5.8 | 5.4 | 6.0 | – | 5.1 | |
| KeyData/Público[38] | 3 Apr 2023 | ? | 69.7 | 34.6 | 42.6 | 2.6 | 5.4 | 5.7 | 6.3 | – | 8.0 | |
| Sigma Dos/PP[39] [40] | 14–23 Mar 2023 | 1,300 | ? | 32.8 | 41.6 | 2.0 | 5.7 | 5.3 | 6.9 | 1.5 | 8.8 | |
| NC Report/La Razón[41] | 27 Feb–3 Mar 2023 | ? | 66.3 | 34.3 | 43.3 | 2.5 | 5.3 | 6.6 | 5.9 | – | 9.0 | |
| Sigma Dos/El Mundo[42] [43] | 20–26 Jan 2023 | 730 | ? | 34.2 | 41.8 | 2.8 | 6.1 | 4.3 | 7.4 | – | 7.6 | |
| GAD3/PP[44] | 19–25 Jan 2023 | 1,357 | ? | 35.4 | 43.3 | 2.8 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 6.3 | – | 7.9 | |
| SW Demoscopia/PSOE[45] | 14 Dec–12 Jan 2023 | 1,750 | ? | 41.9 | 39.3 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 5.2 | – | 2.6 | |
| ElectoPanel/Electomanía[46] | 30 Oct–13 Dec 2022 | 91 | ? | 39.8 | 39.5 | 3.0 | 7.2 | 4.3 | 6.2 | – | 0.3 | |
| CIS[47] [48] | 17 Nov–2 Dec 2022 | 191 | ? | 44.9 | 32.7 | 0.6 | 6.3 | 0.6 | 5.7 | – | 12.2 | |
| NueveCuatroUno[49] | 1 May 2022 | ? | ? | 31.0 | 47.0 | 3.9 | 5.4 | 6.5 | 6.3 | – | 16.0 | |
| ElectoPanel/Electomanía[50] | 31 Jan–14 Mar 2022 | ? | ? | 40.1 | 34.8 | 2.9 | 8.1 | 4.4 | 8.4 | – | 5.3 | |
| ElectoPanel/Electomanía[51] | 2 Feb 2022 | ? | ? | 39.7 | 36.7 | 3.1 | 7.7 | 4.3 | 7.7 | – | 3.0 | |
| NueveCuatroUno[52] | 12 Dec 2021 | ? | ? | 35.8 | 35.3 | 4.0 | 6.6 | 5.1 | 11.6 | – | 0.5 | |
| ElectoPanel/Electomanía[53] | 3 Aug–12 Sep 2021 | ? | ? | 40.5 | 38.1 | 3.8 | 5.6 | 4.4 | 6.1 | – | 2.4 | |
| ElectoPanel/Electomanía[54] | 16 Jun–23 Jul 2021 | ? | ? | 39.8 | 38.9 | 2.9 | 5.1 | 4.6 | 7.3 | – | 0.9 | |
| SyM Consulting[55] [56] | 22–23 Mar 2021 | 741 | 68.7 | 41.5 | 35.1 | 4.6 | 5.3 | 4.3 | 5.6 | – | 6.4 | |
| ElectoPanel/Electomanía[57] | 31 Jan 2021 | 850 | ? | 37.5 | 35.4 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 4.9 | 8.3 | – | 2.1 | |
| SyM Consulting[58] [59] | 1–3 Jun 2020 | 793 | 69.5 | 33.5 | 37.1 | 5.9 | 7.8 | 4.2 | 9.1 | – | 3.6 | |
| ElectoPanel/Electomanía[60] [61] | 1 Apr–15 May 2020 | ? | ? | 42.9 | 34.8 | 6.4 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 5.5 | – | 8.1 | |
| NueveCuatroUno[62] | 5–6 May 2020 | 1,375 | ? | 30.0 | 34.8 | 7.9 | 6.0 | 5.8 | 6.0 | – | 4.8 | |
| November 2019 general election | 10 Nov 2019 | 67.0 | 34.9 | 34.2 | 7.1 | 9.9 | – | 11.5 | – | 0.7 | ||
| 2019 regional election | 26 May 2019 | 65.9 | 38.7 | 33.1 | 11.5 | 6.6 | 4.6 | 3.9 | – | 5.6 | ||
The table below lists raw, unweighted voting preferences.
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Lead | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 regional election | 28 May 2023 | 22.8 | 32.4 | 0.6 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 5.4 | 27.5 | 9.6 | |||
| SW Demoscopia/Cadena SER | 24 Apr–5 May 2023 | 1,741 | 27.6 | 27.8 | 0.8 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 4.1 | 20.4 | 10.0 | 0.2 | |
| CIS | 10–26 Apr 2023 | 466 | 26.5 | 26.2 | 1.3 | 5.9 | 2.2 | 4.3 | 25.1 | 4.4 | 0.3 | |
| SW Demoscopia/PSOE | 14 Dec–12 Jan 2023 | 1,750 | 30.4 | 28.5 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 3.8 | 23.9 | 3.5 | 1.9 | |
| CIS | 17 Nov–2 Dec 2022 | 191 | 26.0 | 21.5 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 0.5 | 3.6 | 32.5 | 5.9 | 4.5 | |
| November 2019 general election | 10 Nov 2019 | 24.5 | 24.0 | 5.0 | 6.9 | – | 8.0 | 28.7 | 0.5 | |||
| 2019 regional election | 26 May 2019 | 26.9 | 23.0 | 8.0 | 4.6 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 29.7 | 3.9 | |||
The table below lists opinion polling on leader preferences to become president of La Rioja.
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Other/ None/ Not care | Lead | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SW Demoscopia/Cadena SER | 24 Apr–5 May 2023 | 1,741 | 29.4 | 28.5 | – | 1.0 | 4.0 | – | 3.2 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 26.5 | 0.9 | ||
| SW Demoscopia/PSOE | 14 Dec–12 Jan 2023 | 1,750 | 31.3 | 26.5 | 0.4 | – | 2.6 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 9.1 | 25.3 | 4.8 |
| Parties and alliances | Popular vote | Seats | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | ±pp | Total | +/− | |||
| People's Party (PP) | 76,205 | 45.38 | +12.32 | 17 | +5 | ||
| Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) | 53,562 | 31.90 | –6.77 | 12 | –3 | ||
| Vox (Vox) | 12,773 | 7.61 | +3.74 | 2 | +2 | ||
| We Can–United Left (Podemos–IU) | 8,543 | 5.09 | –1.56 | 2 | ±0 | ||
| Riojan Party+Empty Spain (PR+EV) | 6,016 | 3.58 | –1.03 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| For La Rioja (PLRi) | 4,349 | 2.59 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Citizens–Party of the Citizenry (CS) | 1,473 | 0.88 | –10.65 | 0 | –4 | ||
| Animalist Party with the Environment (PACMA)1 | 1,065 | 0.63 | –0.03 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| VINEA La Rioja (VINEA) | 954 | 0.57 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Blank Seats to Leave Empty Seats (EB) | 619 | 0.37 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Blank ballots | 2,360 | 1.41 | +0.46 | ||||
| Total | 167,919 | 33 | ±0 | ||||
| Valid votes | 167,919 | 98.32 | –0.67 | ||||
| Invalid votes | 2,860 | 1.68 | +0.67 | ||||
| Votes cast / turnout | 170,779 | 67.79 | +1.85 | ||||
| Abstentions | 81,140 | 32.21 | –1.85 | ||||
| Registered voters | 251,919 | ||||||
| Sources[63] | |||||||
| Investiture Gonzalo Capellán (PP) | |||
| Ballot → | 28 June 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Required majority → | 17 out of 33 | ||
| Abstentions | |||
| Absentees | |||
| Sources[64] | |||