1910 Spanish general election explained

Election Name:1910 Spanish general election
Country:Spain
Flag Year:1785
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1907 Spanish general election
Previous Year:1907
Next Election:1914 Spanish general election
Next Year:1914
Seats For Election:All 404 seats in the Congress of Deputies and 180 (of 360) seats in the Senate
203 seats needed for a majority in the Congress of Deputies
Election Date:8 May 1910 (Congress)
22 May 1910 (Senate)
Leader1:José Canalejas
Party1:DemocraticLiberal
Leader Since1:1910
Leaders Seat1:Alcoy
Last Election1:79 31
Seats1:224 104
Seat Change1:145 73
Leader2:Antonio Maura
Party2:Conservative Party (Spain)
Leader Since2:1905
Leaders Seat2:Palma
Last Election2:256 113
Seats2:109 46
Seat Change2:147 67
Leader3:Benito Pérez Galdós
Party3:Republican–Socialist Conjunction
Leader Since3:1909
Leaders Seat3:Madrid
Last Election3:17 2
Seats3:29 3
Seat Change3:12 1
Leader4:Bartolomé Feliú
Party4:Jaimist
Leader Since4:1909
Leaders Seat4:Tafalla
Last Election4:14 6
Seats4:10 3
Seat Change4:4 3
Leader5:Enric Prat de la Riba
Party5:Regionalist
Leader Since5:1902
Leaders Seat5:
Last Election5:13 5
Seats5:8 5
Seat Change5:5 0
Leader6:José María Vallés
Party6:Republican Nationalist Federal Union
Leader Since6:1910
Leaders Seat6:
Last Election6:18 5
Seats6:10 1
Seat Change6:8 4
Prime Minister
Posttitle:Prime Minister after election
Before Election:José Canalejas
Before Party:Liberal Party (Spain, 1880)
After Election:José Canalejas
After Party:Liberal Party (Spain, 1880)

The 1910 Spanish general election was held on Sunday, 8 May (for the Congress of Deputies) and on Sunday, 22 May 1910 (for the Senate), to elect the 14th Cortes of the Kingdom of Spain in the Restoration period. All 404 seats in the Congress of Deputies were up for election, as well as 180 of 360 seats in the Senate.

Overview

Electoral system

The Spanish Cortes were envisaged as "co-legislative bodies", based on a nearly perfect bicameral system. Both the Congress of Deputies and the Senate had legislative, control and budgetary functions, sharing equal powers except for laws on contributions or public credit, where the Congress had preeminence.[1] [2] Voting for the Cortes was on the basis of universal manhood suffrage, which comprised all national males over 25 years of age, having at least a two-year residency in a municipality and in full enjoyment of their civil rights. Amendments to the electoral law in 1907 introduced compulsory voting, though those older than 70, the clergy, first instance judges and public notaries were exempt from this obligation.

For the Congress of Deputies, 98 seats were elected using a partial block voting system in 28 multi-member constituencies, with the remaining 306 being elected under a one-round first-past-the-post system in single-member districts. Candidates winning a plurality in each constituency were elected. In constituencies electing ten seats or more, electors could vote for no more than four candidates less than the number of seats to be allocated; in those with more than eight seats and up to ten, for no more than three less; in those with more than four seats and up to eight, for no more than two less; in those with more than one seat and up to four, for no more than one less; and for one candidate in single-member districts. Additionally, in those districts where the number of candidates was equal or less than the number of seats up for election, candidates were to be automatically elected. The Congress was entitled to one member per each 50,000 inhabitants, with each multi-member constituency being allocated a fixed number of seats. The law also provided for by-elections to fill seats vacated throughout the legislature.[1] [3] [4] [5]

As a result of the aforementioned allocation, each Congress multi-member constituency was entitled the following seats:[4] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

SeatsConstituencies
8Madrid
7Barcelona
5Palma, Seville
4Cartagena
3Alicante, Almería, Badajoz, Burgos, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Jerez de la Frontera, La Coruña, Las Palmas, Lugo, Málaga, Murcia, Oviedo, Pamplona, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Santander, Tarragona, Valencia, Valladolid, Zaragoza

For the Senate, 180 seats were indirectly elected by the local councils and major taxpayers, with electors voting for delegates instead of senators. Elected delegates—equivalent in number to one-sixth of the councillors in each local council—would then vote for senators using a write-in, two-round majority voting system. The provinces of Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia were allocated four seats each, whereas each of the remaining provinces was allocated three seats, for a total of 150. The remaining 30 were allocated to special districts comprising a number of institutions, electing one seat each—the archdioceses of Burgos, Granada, Santiago de Compostela, Seville, Tarragona, Toledo, Valencia, Valladolid and Zaragoza; the Royal Spanish Academy; the royal academies of History, Fine Arts of San Fernando, Exact and Natural Sciences, Moral and Political Sciences and Medicine; the universities of Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, Oviedo, Salamanca, Santiago, Seville, Valencia, Valladolid and Zaragoza; and the economic societies of Friends of the Country from Madrid, Barcelona, León, Seville and Valencia. An additional 180 seats comprised senators in their own right—the Monarch's offspring and the heir apparent once coming of age; Grandees of Spain of the first class; Captain Generals of the Army and the Navy Admiral; the Patriarch of the Indies and archbishops; and the presidents of the Council of State, the Supreme Court, the Court of Auditors, the Supreme War Council and the Supreme Council of the Navy, after two years of service—as well as senators for life (who were appointed by the Monarch).[1] [14] [15]

Election date

The term of each chamber of the Cortes—the Congress and one-half of the elective part of the Senate—expired five years from the date of their previous election, unless they were dissolved earlier. The previous Congress and Senate elections were held on 21 April and 5 May 1907, which meant that the legislature's terms would have expired on 21 April and 5 May 1912, respectively. The monarch had the prerogative to dissolve both chambers at any given time—either jointly or separately—and call a snap election.[1] [4] [14] There was no constitutional requirement for simultaneous elections for the Congress and the Senate, nor for the elective part of the Senate to be renewed in its entirety except in the case that a full dissolution was agreed by the monarch. Still, there was only one case of a separate election (for the Senate in 1877) and no half-Senate elections taking place under the 1876 Constitution.

The Cortes were officially dissolved on 14 April 1910, with the dissolution decree setting the election dates for 8 May (for the Congress) and 22 May 1910 (for the Senate) and scheduling for both chambers to reconvene on 15 June.[16]

Results

Congress of Deputies

← Summary of the 8 May 1910 Congress of Deputies election results →
Parties and alliancesPopular voteSeats
Votes%Total
Monarchist Democratic PartyLiberal Party (PDM–PL)70 154 224
Liberal Conservative Party (PLC)38 71 109
Republican–Socialist Conjunction (CRS)3 26 29
Republican Nationalist Federal Union (UFNR)0 10 10
Traditionalist Communion (Jaimist) (CT)3 7 10
Regionalist League (LR)2 6 8
Integrist Party (PI)1 2 3
Autonomist Republican Union Party (PURA)0 2 2
Independents (INDEP)2 7 9
Total119 285 404
Votes cast / turnout
Abstentions
Registered voters
Sources[17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22]

Senate

← Summary of the 22 May 1910 Senate of Spain election results →
Parties and alliancesSeats
Monarchist Democratic PartyLiberal Party (PDM–PL)104
Liberal Conservative Party (PLC)46
Integrist Party (PI)5
Regionalist League (LR)5
Republican–Socialist Conjunction (CRS)3
Traditionalist Communion (Jaimist) (CT)3
Republican Nationalist Federal Union (UFNR)1
Social Defence Committee (CDS)1
Independents (INDEP)3
Archbishops (ARCH)9
Total elective seats180
Sources[23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29]

Distribution by group

Summary of political group distribution in the 14th Restoration Cortes (1910–1914)
GroupParties and alliancesTotal
PDMPLMonarchist Democratic PartyLiberal Party (PDM–PL)221102328
Basque Dynastics (Urquijist) (DV)12
Monarchist Coalition (MON)20
PLCLiberal Conservative Party (PLC)10845155
Anti-Liberal Catholic Alliance (ACA)11
CRSRepublican Union Party (PUR)14232
Radical Republican Party (PRR)110
Federal Republican Party (PRF)31
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)10
CTTraditionalist Communion (Jaimist) (CT)5313
Anti-Liberal Catholic Alliance (ACA)50
LRRegionalist League (LR)8513
UFNRRepublican Nationalist Federal Union (UFNR)10111
PIIntegrist Party (PI)238
Anti-Liberal Catholic Alliance (ACA)12
PURAAutonomist Republican Union Party (PURA)202
CDSSocial Defence Committee (CDS)011
INDEPIndependents (INDEP)7312
Independent Catholics (CAT)20
ARCHArchbishops (ARCH)099
Total404180584

See also

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Constitución de la Monarquía Española . Constitution . es . 30 June 1876 . 19 August 2022.
  2. Web site: El Senado en la historia constitucional española . . es . 26 December 2016.
  3. Ley electoral de los Diputados a Cortes . Law . es . 28 December 1878 . 19 August 2022.
  4. Ley reformando la Electoral vigente . Law . es . 8 August 1907 . 28 November 2022.
  5. Ley mandando que los distritos para las elecciones de Diputados á Córtes sean los que se expresan en la división adjunta . Law . es . 1 January 1871 . 21 August 2022.
  6. Ley dividiendo la provincia de Guipúzcoa en distritos para la elección de Diputados a Cortes . Law . es . 23 June 1885 . 6 May 2023.
  7. Ley dividiendo el distrito electoral de Tarrasa en dos, que se denominarán de Tarrasa y de Sabadell . Law . es . 18 January 1887 . 6 May 2023.
  8. Ley fijando la división de la provincia de Alava en distritos electorales para Diputados á Cortes . Law . es . 10 July 1888 . 6 May 2023.
  9. Leyes aprobando la división electoral de las provincias de León y Vizcaya . Law . es . 2 August 1895 . 6 May 2023.
  10. Leyes aprobando la división electoral en las provincias de Sevilla y de Barcelona . Law . es . 5 July 1898 . 22 September 2022.
  11. Ley mandando que en lo sucesivo sean cuatro los Diputados á Cortes que elegirá la circunscripción electoral de Cartagena . Law . es . 7 August 1899 . 10 October 2022.
  12. Ley estableciendo una circunscripción para elegir tres Diputados á cortes, que la constituirán los cuatro partidos judiciales de Ayamonte, Hueva, Moguer y la Palma, con todas las poblaciones que de ellos forman parte . Law . es . 24 March 1902 . 30 October 2022.
  13. Ley sancionada por S. M. formando un solo distrito electoral para Diputados á Cortes con los de Las Palmas y Guía . Law . es . 5 April 1904 . 1 November 2022.
  14. Ley electoral de Senadores . Law . es . 8 February 1877 . 19 August 2022.
  15. Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado . Gaceta de Madrid . 76 . 16 March 1899 . es . Real decreto disponiendo el número de Senadores que han de elegir las provincias que se citan . 1021.
  16. Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado . . 105 . 15 April 1910 . es . Real decreto declarando disueltos el Congreso de los Diputados y la parte electiva del Senado, y disponiendo que las Cortes se reúnan en Madrid el 15 de Junio próximo, y que las elecciones de Diputados y Senadores se verifiquen el 8 y 22 de Mayo próximo, respectivamente . 110.
  17. News: 9 May 1910 . El resultado de las elecciones . es . . El Heraldo de Madrid . 30 November 2022.
  18. News: 9 May 1910 . Datos oficiales de toda España . es . National Library of Spain . La Mañana . 30 November 2022.
  19. News: 9 May 1910 . Las elecciones . es . National Library of Spain . El Globo . 30 November 2022.
  20. News: 9 May 1910 . Las elecciones generales . es . National Library of Spain . La Época . 30 November 2022.
  21. News: 9 May 1910 . Resultados oficiales . es . National Library of Spain . El Siglo Futuro . 30 November 2022.
  22. News: 1 January 1911 . Mayo de 1910. Día 8. Los nuevos Diputados . es . National Library of Spain . El Año Político . 30 November 2022.
  23. News: 22 May 1910 . La elección de senadores . es . National Library of Spain . El Imparcial . 17 December 2022.
  24. News: 23 May 1910 . Los nuevos senadores . es . National Library of Spain . El País . 17 December 2022.
  25. News: 23 May 1910 . Los nuevos senadores . es . National Library of Spain . La Mañana . 17 December 2022.
  26. News: 23 May 1910 . Elección de senadores . es . National Library of Spain . El Liberal . 17 December 2022.
  27. News: 23 May 1910 . Elección de senadores . es . National Library of Spain . El Globo . 17 December 2022.
  28. News: 23 May 1910 . La elección de senadores . es . National Library of Spain . La Correspondencia de España . 17 December 2022.
  29. News: 1 January 1911 . Mayo de 1910. Día 22. Elección de Senadores . es . National Library of Spain . El Año Político . 17 December 2022.