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1920 Spanish general election

1920 Spanish general election
← 1919 19 December 1920 (Congress)[a]
2 January 1921 (Senate)		 1923 →
All 409 seats in the Congress of Deputies and 180 (of 360) seats in the Senate
205 seats needed for a majority in the Congress of Deputies
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Eduardo Dato Marquis of Alhucemas Count of Romanones
Party Conservative Liberal Democratic Romanonist
Leader since 1913 1913 1912
Leader's seat Vitoria Senator for life Guadalajara
Last election 95 (C) · 54 (S) 51 (C) · 26 (S) 41 (C) · 22 (S)
Seats won 182 (C) · 72 (S) 40 (C) · 23 (S) 32 (C) · 20 (S)
Seat change Green arrow up87 (C) · Green arrow up18 (S) Red arrow down11 (C) · Red arrow down3 (S) Red arrow down9 (C) · Red arrow down2 (S)
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Santiago Alba Antonio Maura Juan de la Cierva
Party Liberal Left Maurist Ciervists
Leader since 1917 1913 1914
Leader's seat Albuñol Palma Mula
Last election 31 (C) · 10 (S) 68 (C) · 27 (S) 33 (C) · 10 (S)
Seats won 30 (C) · 17 (S) 24 (C) · 10 (S) 21 (C) · 6 (S)
Seat change Red arrow down1 (C) · Green arrow up7 (S) Red arrow down44 (C) · Red arrow down17 (S) Red arrow down12 (C) · Red arrow down4 (S)
Prime Minister before election

Eduardo Dato
Conservative

Prime Minister after election

Eduardo Dato
Conservative

A general election was held in Spain on Sunday, 19 December 1920 (for the Congress of Deputies)[a] and on Sunday, 2 January 1921 (for the Senate), to elect the members of the 19th Restoration Cortes. All 409 seats in the Congress of Deputies were up for election, as well as 180 of 360 seats in the Senate.

Background

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Following the Bourbon Restoration in 1874, the Spanish Constitution of 1876 enshrined Spain as a semi-constitutional monarchy, awarding the monarch the right of legislative initiative together with the bicameral Cortes; the capacity to veto laws passed by the legislative body; the power to appoint senators and government members (including the prime minister); as well as the title of commander-in-chief of the armed forces.[2] The monarch would play a key role in the turno system by appointing and dismissing governments, which would then organize elections to provide themselves with a parliamentary majority. This informal system allowed the two major "dynastic" political parties at the time, the Conservatives and the Liberals—characterized as oligarchic, elite parties with loose structures dominated by internal factions, each led by powerful individuals—to alternate in power by means of electoral fraud (pucherazo). This was achieved by assigning candidates to districts before the elections were held (encasillado), then arrange their victory through the links between the Ministry of Governance and the territorial clientelistic networks of provincial governors and local bosses (the caciques), excluding minor parties from the power sharing.[3][4]

Overview

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Electoral system

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The Spanish Cortes were envisaged as "co-legislative bodies", based on a nearly perfect bicameral system.[5] 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, the first reading of which corresponded to Congress, and impeachment processes against government ministers, in which each chamber had separate powers of indictment (Congress) and trial (Senate).[6][7] Voting for each chamber of the Cortes was on the basis of universal manhood suffrage and censitary suffrage, respectively:

  • For the Congress, it 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. Voting was compulsory, though those older than 70, the clergy, first instance judges and public notaries (the latter two categories, within their respective area of jurisdiction) were exempt from this obligation.[8][9][10]
Electors were required to not being in active military service; nor being sentenced—by a final court ruling—to perpetual disqualification from political rights or public offices, to afflictive penalties not legally rehabilitated at least two years in advance, nor to other criminal penalties that remained unserved at the time of the election; neither being legally incapacitated, bankrupt, insolvent, debtors of public funds, nor homeless.[8]

The Congress of Deputies was entitled to one member per each 50,000 inhabitants, distributed among the provinces of Spain.[12] 98 seats were distributed among 28 multi-member constituencies and elected using a partial block voting system: 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; and in those with more than one seat and up to four, for no more than one less.[13] The remaining seats—311 for the 1920 election—were allocated to single-member districts and elected using plurality voting.[14] 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.[15]

As a result of the aforementioned allocation, each Congress multi-member constituency was entitled the following seats:[14][16]

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

For the Senate, 180 seats were elected using an indirect, write-in, two-round majority voting system.[17][18] Voters in the economic societies, the local councils and major taxpayers elected delegates—equivalent in number to one per each 50 members (in each economic society) or to one-sixth of the councillors (in each local council), with an initial minimum of one—who, together with other voting-able electors, would in turn vote for senators.[19] 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.[20][21] 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 six oldest royal academies (the Royal Spanish; History; Fine Arts of San Fernando; Exact, Physical 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.[22]

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 with an annual income of at least 60,000 Pt (from their own real estate or from rights that enjoy the same legal consideration); captain generals of the Army and admirals of the Navy; the Patriarch of the Indies and archbishops; and the presidents of the Council of State, the Supreme Court, the Court of Auditors, the Supreme Council of War and Navy, after two years of service—as well as senators for life appointed directly by the monarch.[23]

The law provided for by-elections to fill seats vacated in both the Congress and Senate throughout the legislature's term.[24][25]

Eligibility

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For the Congress, Spanish citizens of age, of secular status, in full enjoyment of their civil rights and with the legal capacity to vote could run for election, provided that they were not contractors of public works or services, within the territorial scope of their contracts; nor holders of government-appointed offices, the judiciary, the prosecution ministry and presidents or members of provincial deputations—during their tenure of office and up to one year after their dismissal—in constituencies within the whole or part of their respective area of jurisdiction, except for government ministers and civil servants in the Central Administration.[26][27] A number of other positions were exempt from ineligibility, provided that no more than 40 deputies benefitted from these:[28][29]

  • Civil, military and judicial positions with a permanent residence in Madrid and a yearly public salary of at least 12,500 Pt;
  • The holders of a number of positions: the president, prosecutors and chamber presidents of the territorial court of Madrid; the rector and full professors of the Central University of Madrid; inspectors of engineers; and general officers of the Army and Navy based in Madrid.

Additionally, candidates intending to run were required to either have previously served as deputies, elected in a general or by-election; to secure the endorsement of two current or former senators or deputies from the same provinces, or from three current or former provincial deputies representing a territory that, in whole or in part, was included in the constituencies for which they sought election; or to secure the endorsement of at least one twentieth of the electorate in the constituencies for which they sought election.[30]

For the Senate, eligibility was limited to Spanish citizens over 35 years of age and not subject to criminal prosecution, disfranchisement nor asset seizure, provided that they were entitled to be appointed as senators in their own right or belonged or had belonged to one of the following categories:[31][32]

  • Those who had ever served as senators before the promulgation of the 1876 Constitution; and deputies having served in at least three different congresses or eight terms;
  • The holders of a number of positions: presidents of the Senate and the Congress; government ministers; bishops; grandees of Spain not eligible as senators in their own right; and presidents and directors of the royal academies;
  • Provided an annual income of at least 7,500 Pt from either their own property, salaries from jobs that cannot be lost except for legally proven cause, or from retirement, withdrawal or termination: full academics of the aforementioned corporations on the first half of the seniority scale in their corps; first-class inspectors general of the corps of civil, mining and forest engineers; and full professors with at least four years of seniority in their category and practice;
  • Provided two prior years of service: Army's lieutenant generals and Navy's vice admirals; and other members and prosecutors of the Council of State, the Supreme Court, the Court of Auditors, the Supreme Council of War and Navy, and the dean of the Court of Military Orders;
  • Ambassadors after two years of service and plenipotentiaries after four;
  • Those with an annual income of 20,000 Pt or were taxpayers with a minimum quota of 4,000 Pt in direct contributions at least two years in advance, provided that they either belonged to the Spanish nobility, had been previously deputies, provincial deputies or mayors in provincial capitals or towns over 20,000 inhabitants.

Other causes of ineligibility for the Senate were imposed on territorial-level officers in government bodies and institutions—during their tenure of office and up to three months after their dismissal—in constituencies within the whole or part of their respective area of jurisdiction; contractors of public works or services; tax collectors and their guarantors; debtors of the State; deputies; local councillors (except those in Madrid); and provincial deputies for their respective provinces.[33]

Election date

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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.[34] The previous Congress and Senate elections were held on 1 June and 15 June 1919, which meant that the legislature's terms would have expired on 1 June and 15 June 1924, respectively. The monarch had the prerogative to dissolve both chambers at any given time—either jointly or separately—and call a snap election.[35][36] There was no constitutional requirement for concurrent elections to 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 2 October 1920, with the election decree—issued on 27 November—setting the election dates for 19 December 1920 (for the Congress) and 2 January 1921 (for the Senate) and scheduling for both chambers to reconvene on 4 January.[37][38]

Results

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Congress of Deputies

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← Summary of the 19 December 1920 Congress of Deputies election results →
Parties and alliances Popular vote Seats
Votes % A.29 Cont. Total
Conservative Party (PC) 35 147 182
Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) 16 24 40
Romanonist Liberals (PL) 12 20 32
Liberal Left (IL) 9 21 30
Maurist Party (PM) 9 15 24
Ciervist Conservatives (CC) 1 20 21
Regionalist League (LR) 0 17 17
Reformist Party (PRef) 1 8 9
Republican Democracy (DR) 0 7 7
Traditionalist Communion (Jaimist) (CT) 2 4 6
Unaligned Republicans (R) 1 4 5
Agrarian Liberal Party (PLA) 0 5 5
Zamorist Liberals (LZ) 0 5 5
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) 0 4 4
Catalan Republican Party (PRC) 1 1 2
Traditionalist Catholic Party (PCT) 0 1 1
Basque Nationalist Communion (CNV) 1 0 1
Autonomist Monarchist Federation (FMA) 1 0 1
Integrist Party (PI) 1 0 1
Nationalist Democratic Federation (FDN) 0 1 1
Aragonese Union (UA) 0 1 1
Independents (INDEP) 2 12 14
Total 92 317 409
Votes cast / turnout
Abstentions
Registered voters
Sources[a][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47]
Seats
PC
 
 44.50%
PLD
 
 9.78%
PL
 
 7.82%
IL
 
 7.33%
PM
 
 5.87%
CC
 
 5.13%
LR
 
 4.16%
PRef
 
 2.20%
DR
 
 1.71%
CT
 
 1.47%
R
 
 1.22%
PLA
 
 1.22%
LZ
 
 1.22%
PSOE
 
 0.98%
PRC
 
 0.49%
PCT
 
 0.24%
CNV
 
 0.24%
FMA
 
 0.24%
PI
 
 0.24%
FDN
 
 0.24%
UA
 
 0.24%
INDEP
 
 3.42%

Senate

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← Summary of the 2 January 1921 Senate of Spain election results →
Parties and alliances Seats
Conservative Party (PC) 72
Liberal Democratic Party (Prietist) (PLD) 23
Liberal Party (Romanonist) (PL) 20
Liberal Left (Albist) (IL) 17
Maurist Party (PM) 10
Ciervist Conservatives (CC) 6
Regionalist League (LR) 6
Traditionalist Communion (Jaimist) (CT) 4
Reformist Party (PRef) 2
Republican Democracy (DR) 1
Agrarian Liberal Party (Gassetist) (PLA) 1
Zamorist Liberals (LZ) 1
Integrist Party (PI) 1
Independents (INDEP) 7
Archbishops (ARCH) 9
Total elective seats 180
Sources[48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55]
Seats
PC
 
 40.00%
PLD
 
 12.78%
PL
 
 11.11%
IL
 
 9.44%
PM
 
 5.56%
CC
 
 3.33%
LR
 
 3.33%
CT
 
 2.22%
PRef
 
 1.11%
DR
 
 0.56%
PLA
 
 0.56%
LZ
 
 0.56%
PI
 
 0.56%
INDEP
 
 3.89%
ARCH
 
 5.00%

Distribution by group

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Summary of political group distribution in the 19th Restoration Cortes (1920–1923)
Group Parties and alliances C S Total
PC Conservative Party (PC) 174 70 254
National Monarchist Union (UMN) 4 2
Monarchist Action League (LAM) 4 0
PLD Liberal Democratic Party (Prietist) (PLD) 39 23 63
National Monarchist Union (UMN) 1 0
PL Liberal Party (Romanonist) (PL) 31 20 52
Monarchist Coalition (MON) 1 0
IL Liberal Left (Albist) (IL) 24 15 47
National Monarchist Union (UMN) 4 2
Monarchist Action League (LAM) 1 0
Monarchist Coalition (MON) 1 0
PM Maurist Party (PM) 20 10 34
National Monarchist Union (UMN) 2 0
Monarchist Coalition (MON) 2 0
CC Ciervist Conservatives (CC) 20 6 27
Monarchist Coalition (MON) 1 0
LR Regionalist League (LR) 17 6 23
PRef Reformist Party (PRef) 9 2 11
CT Traditionalist Communion (Jaimist) (CT) 6 4 10
DR Radical Republican Party (PRR) 5 1 8
Independent Republicans (R.IND) 2 0
PLA Agrarian Liberal Party (Gassetist) (PLA) 5 1 6
LZ Zamorist Liberals (LZ) 5 1 6
R Autonomist Republican Union Party (PURA) 3 0 5
Republican Federation (FR) 1 0
Democratic Republican Party (PRD) 1 0
PSOE Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) 4 0 4
PRC Catalan Republican Party (PRC) 2 0 2
PI Integrist Party (PI) 1 1 2
PCT Traditionalist Catholic Party (PCT) 1 0 1
CNV Basque Nationalist Communion (CNV) 1 0 1
FMA Autonomist Monarchist Federation (FMA) 1 0 1
FDN Nationalist Democratic Federation (FDN) 1 0 1
UA Aragonese Union (UA) 1 0 1
INDEP Independents (INDEP) 2 4 21
National Monarchist Union (UMN) 4 0
Independent Conservatives (C.IND) 3 0
Independent Liberals (L.IND) 1 2
Basque Dynastics (Urquijist) (DV) 1 1
Monarchist Coalition (MON) 1 0
Independent Republicans (R.IND) 1 0
Nationalist Republicans (R.NAC) 1 0
ARCH Archbishops (ARCH) 0 9 9
Total 409 180 589

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c Candidates elected automatically under Article 29 of the Electoral Law were proclaimed on 13 December 1920.[1]

References

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  1. ^ "Diciembre de 1920. Día 13. Las elecciones. Diputados proclamados por el artículo 29". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Año Político. 1 January 1921. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  2. ^ Constitution (1876), arts. 18, 22, 41, 44 & 51–54.
  3. ^ Martorell Linares 1997, pp. 139–143.
  4. ^ Martínez Relanzón 2017, pp. 147–148.
  5. ^ Constitution (1876), arts. 18–19 & 41.
  6. ^ Constitution (1876), arts. 38, 42 & 45.
  7. ^ "El Senado en la historia constitucional española". Senate of Spain (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  8. ^ a b Law of 8 August (1907), arts. 1–3.
  9. ^ García Muñoz 2002, pp. 107–108.
  10. ^ Carreras de Odriozola & Tafunell Sambola 2005, p. 1077.
  11. ^ Law of 8 February (1877), arts. 1–3, 12–13 & 25.
  12. ^ Constitution (1876), arts. 27–28.
  13. ^ Law of 8 August (1907), art. 21.
  14. ^ a b Law of 8 August (1907), add. art. 3, applying Law of 26 June (1890), trans. prov. 1, applying Law of 28 December (1878), art. 2, applying Law of 1 January (1871), art. 1.
  15. ^ Law of 8 August (1907), art. 29.
  16. ^ Rules modifying constituency boundaries:
  17. ^ Constitution (1876), art. 20.
  18. ^ Law of 8 February (1877), arts. 21–22 & 53.
  19. ^ Law of 8 February (1877), arts. 1 & 30–31.
  20. ^ Law of 8 February (1877), art. 2.
  21. ^ "Real decreto disponiendo el número de Senadores que han de elegir las provincias que se citan" (PDF). Gaceta de Madrid (in Spanish) (76). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 1021. 16 March 1899.
  22. ^ Law of 8 February (1877), art. 1.
  23. ^ Constitution (1876), arts. 20–21.
  24. ^ Law of 8 February (1877), arts. 56–59.
  25. ^ Law of 8 August (1907), arts. 55–58.
  26. ^ Constitution (1876), arts. 29 & 31.
  27. ^ Law of 8 August (1907), arts. 4–7.
  28. ^ Law of 7 March (1880), arts. 1–4.
  29. ^ Law of 31 July (1887).
  30. ^ Law of 8 August (1907), art. 24.
  31. ^ Constitution (1876), arts. 22 & 26.
  32. ^ Law of 8 February (1877), art. 4.
  33. ^ Law of 8 February (1877), arts. 5–9.
  34. ^ Constitution (1876), arts. 24 & 30.
  35. ^ Constitution (1876), art. 32.
  36. ^ Law of 8 February (1877), art. 11.
  37. ^ Real decreto declarando, disueltos el Congreso de los Diputados y la parte electiva del Senado, y declarando que las elecciones de Diputados y Senadores se Celebraran dentro del plazo legal (PDF) (Royal Decree). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish). King of Spain. 2 October 1920. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  38. ^ Real decreto disponiendo que el día 19 de Diciembre próximo se celebren en todas las provincias del Reino las elecciones de Diputados a Cortes; el 2 de Enero siguiente, las de Senadores, y fijando la fecha del 4 de referido mes de Enero para la reunión de las Cortes en Madrid (PDF) (Royal Decree). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish). King of Spain. 27 November 1920. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  39. ^ "La contienda política de ayer. Diputados a Cortes electos". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Correspondencia de España. 20 December 1920. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  40. ^ "Las elecciones de diputados a Cortes". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Época. 20 December 1920. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  41. ^ "Datos oficiales de los escrutinios en provincias". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Tribuna. 20 December 1920. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  42. ^ "Triunfo completo de la candidatura monárquica en Madrid". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Imparcial. 21 December 1920. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  43. ^ "Las elecciones de diputados". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Libertad. 21 December 1920. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  44. ^ "Las elecciones de diputados a Cortes". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Globo. 21 December 1920. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  45. ^ "Las elecciones de diputados a Cortes". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Publicidad. 21 December 1920. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  46. ^ "Resultado de las elecciones". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Liberal. 22 December 1920. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  47. ^ "Diciembre de 1920. Día 19. Resultado general". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Año Político. 1 January 1921. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  48. ^ "Las elecciones de senadores. Preliminares de la elección". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Siglo Futuro. 3 January 1921. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  49. ^ "Datos oficiales". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Tribuna. 3 January 1921. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  50. ^ "Datos electorales facilitados en el Ministerio de la Gobernación". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Voz. 3 January 1921. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  51. ^ "Las elecciones de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Liberal. 4 January 1921. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  52. ^ "La elección de senadores del domingo". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Sol. 4 January 1921. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  53. ^ "Senadores elegidos". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Publicidad. 4 January 1921. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  54. ^ "Las elecciones de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Universo. 4 January 1921. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  55. ^ "Enero de 1921. Día 2. Elecciones de Senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Año Político. 1 January 1922. Retrieved 7 September 2023.

Bibliography

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