1918 Spanish general election
24 February 1918 (Congress)[lower-alpha 1]
10 March 1918 (Senate)
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 Manuel García Prieto Count of Romanones
Party Conservative Liberal Democratic Romanonist
Leader since 1913 1913 1912
Leader's seat Vitoria Senator for life Guadalajara
Last election 90 (C) · 36 (S) Did not contest 228 (C) · 112 (S)[lower-alpha 2]
Seats won 104 (C) · 48 (S) 89 (C) · 41 (S) 40 (C) · 23 (S)
Seat change 14 (C) · 12 (S) 89 (C) · 41 (S) 188 (C) · 89 (S)
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Santiago Alba Melquíades Álvarez Antonio Maura
Party Liberal Left Alliance Maurist
Leader since 1917 1918 1913
Leader's seat Albuñol — Palma
Last election Did not contest 34 (C) · 3 (S)[lower-alpha 3] 17 (C) · 5 (S)
Seats won 33 (C) · 17 (S) 34 (C) · 2 (S) 27 (C) · 9 (S)
Seat change 33 (C) · 17 (S) 0 (C) · 1 (S) 10 (C) · 4 (S)
Prime Minister before election

Manuel García Prieto
Liberal Democratic

 Prime Minister after election

Antonio Maura
Maurist

The 1918 Spanish general election was held on Sunday, 24 February (for the Congress of Deputies)[lower-alpha 1] and on Sunday, 10 March 1918 (for the Senate), to elect the 17th Cortes of the Kingdom of Spain in the Restoration period. All 409 seats in the Congress of Deputies were up for election, as well as 180 of 360 seats in the Senate.

The election was held in the wake of the Spanish crisis of 1917, a series of events that threatened the government and the Restoration system by posing a three-way challenge: military (the Defence Juntas, a military union movement created without the approval of the Spanish legislature), political (the Assembly of Parliamentarians in Barcelona demanding a recognition of regional autonomy) and social (the 1917 general strike in response to the worsening living conditions of the working classes). These three challenges were aggravated by the rising cost of living and high inflation rates resulting from the economic boom sparked by Spain's neutrality in World War I and an uneven redistribution of national income.

The resulting parliament was the most fragmented since the approval of the 1876 Constitution, with neither the ruling liberal bloc of Prime Minister Manuel García Prieto nor the opposition conservative bloc under Eduardo Dato beinge able to muster a parliamentary majority. Amid growing unstability, the feeling that no one was willing or able to seize power and the threat of a possible abdication of King Alfonso XIII, a national unity government was formed between the Conservative, Liberal Democratic, Liberal, Liberal Left, Maurist and Regionalist League parties with Antonio Maura as new prime minister.

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.[2][3] Voting for the Cortes was on the basis of compulsory, 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. Those older than 70, the clergy, first instance judges and public notaries were exempt from this obligation.[4][5]

For the Congress of Deputies, 98 seats were elected using a partial block voting system in 28 multi-member constituencies, with the remaining 311 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.[2][6][7][8]

As a result of the aforementioned allocation, each Congress multi-member constituency was entitled the following seats:[7][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

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 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).[2][18][19]

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 9 April and 23 April 1916, which meant that the legislature's terms would have expired on 9 April and 23 April 1921, respectively. The monarch had the prerogative to dissolve both chambers at any given time—either jointly or separately—and call a snap election.[2][7][18] 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 10 January 1918, with the dissolution decree setting the election dates for 24 February (for the Congress) and 10 March 1918 (for the Senate) and scheduling for both chambers to reconvene on 18 March.[20]

Background

The Spanish Constitution of 1876 enshrined Spain as a constitutional monarchy, awarding the monarch power to name senators and to revoke laws, as well as the title of commander-in-chief of the army. The monarch would also play a key role in the system of el turno pacífico (English: the Peaceful Turn) by appointing and dismissing governments and allowing the opposition to take power. Under this system, the major political parties of the time, the conservatives and the liberals—characterized as elite parties with loose structures and dominated by internal factions led by powerful individuals—alternated in power by means of election rigging, which they achieved through the encasillado, using the links between the Ministry of Governance, the provincial civil governors and the local bosses (caciques) to ensure victory and exclude minor parties from the power sharing.[21][22]

Results

Congress of Deputies

← Summary of the 24 February 1918 Congress of Deputies election results →
Parties and alliances Popular vote Seats
Votes  % A.29 Cont. Total
Liberal Conservative Party (PLC) 1490104
Liberal Democratic Party (Prietist) (PLD) 187189
Liberal Party (Romanonist) (PL) 83240
Alliance of the Left (AI) 43034
Liberal Left (Albist) (IL) 52833
Maurist Party (PM) 42327
Ciervist Conservatives (CC) 32124
Regionalist League (LR) 02222
Traditionalist Communion (Jaimist) (CT) 189
Agrarian Liberal Party (Gassetist) (PLA) 077
Basque Nationalist Communion (CNV) 167
Integrist Party (PI) 101
Independents (INDEP) 3912
Total 62347409
Votes cast / turnout
Abstentions
Registered voters
Sources[lower-alpha 1][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]
Seats
PLC
 
 25.43%
PLD
 
 21.76%
PL
 
 9.78%
AI
 
 8.31%
IL
 
 8.07%
PM
 
 6.60%
CC
 
 5.87%
LR
 
 5.38%
CT
 
 2.20%
PLA
 
 1.71%
CNV
 
 1.71%
PI
 
 0.24%
INDEP
 
 2.93%

Senate

← Summary of the 10 March 1918 Senate of Spain election results →
Parties and alliances Seats
Liberal Conservative Party (PLC) 48
Liberal Democratic Party (Prietist) (PLD) 41
Liberal Party (Romanonist) (PL) 23
Liberal Left (Albist) (IL) 17
Maurist Party (PM) 9
Regionalist League (LR) 8
Ciervist Conservatives (CC) 6
Traditionalist Communion (Jaimist) (CT) 5
Agrarian Liberal Party (Gassetist) (PLA) 3
Alliance of the Left (AI) 2
Basque Nationalist Communion (CNV) 2
Integrist Party (PI) 2
Independents (INDEP) 5
Archbishops (ARCH) 9
Total elective seats 180
Sources[33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40]
Seats
PLC
 
 26.67%
PLD
 
 22.78%
PL
 
 12.78%
IL
 
 9.44%
PM
 
 5.00%
LR
 
 4.44%
CC
 
 3.33%
CT
 
 2.78%
PLA
 
 1.67%
AI
 
 1.11%
CNV
 
 1.11%
PI
 
 1.11%
INDEP
 
 2.78%
ARCH
 
 5.00%

Distribution by group

Summary of political group distribution in the 17th Restoration Cortes (1918–1919)
Group Parties and alliances C S Total
PLC Liberal Conservative Party (PLC) 104 48 152
PLD Liberal Democratic Party (Prietist) (PLD) 89 41 130
PL Liberal Party (Romanonist) (PL) 40 23 63
IL Liberal Left (Albist) (IL) 32 17 50
Monarchist Coalition (MON) 1 0
AI Reformist Party (PRef) 9 0 36
Independent Republicans (R.IND) 6 1
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) 6 0
Republican Federation (FRep) 5 0
Catalan Republican Party (PRC) 4 0
Radical Republican Party (PRR) 2 1
Autonomist Republican Union Party (PURA) 1 0
Nationalist Republicans (R.NAC) 1 0
PM Maurist Party (PM) 24 9 36
Monarchist Coalition (MON) 3 0
CC Ciervist Conservatives (CC) 23 6 30
Monarchist Coalition (MON) 1 0
LR Regionalist League (LR) 22 8 30
CT Traditionalist Communion (Jaimist) (CT) 9 5 14
PLA Agrarian Liberal Party (Gassetist) (PLA) 7 3 10
CNV Basque Nationalist Communion (CNV) 7 2 9
PI Integrist Party (PI) 1 2 3
INDEP Independents (INDEP) 5 2 17
Independent Liberals (L.IND) 3 1
Independent Catholics (CAT) 2 1
Basque Dynastics (Urquijist) (DV) 1 1
Independent Regionalists (REG) 1 0
ARCH Archbishops (ARCH) 0 9 9
Total 409 180 589

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Candidates elected automatically under Article 29 of the Electoral Law were proclaimed on 17 February 1918.[1]
  2. ↑ Results for PL–LD in the 1916 election.
  3. ↑ Results for PRef (14 deputies and 2 senators), CRS (13 deputies and 1 senator) and PRR–UFNR (7 deputies and 0 senators) in the 1916 election.

References

  1. ↑ "Febrero de 1918. Día 17. Elecciones generales. Diputados por el artículo 29". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Año Político. 1 January 1919. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Constitución de la Monarquía Española". Constitution of 30 June 1876 (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  3. ↑ "El Senado en la historia constitucional española". Senate of Spain (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  4. ↑ García Muñoz 2002, pp. 106–107.
  5. ↑ Carreras de Odriozola & Tafunell Sambola 2005, p. 1077.
  6. ↑ "Ley electoral de los Diputados a Cortes". Law of 28 December 1878 (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 "Ley reformando la Electoral vigente". Law of 8 August 1907 (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  8. ↑ "Ley mandando que los distritos para las elecciones de Diputados á Córtes sean los que se expresan en la división adjunta". Law of 1 January 1871 (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  9. ↑ "Ley dividiendo la provincia de Guipúzcoa en distritos para la elección de Diputados a Cortes". Law of 23 June 1885 (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  10. ↑ "Ley dividiendo el distrito electoral de Tarrasa en dos, que se denominarán de Tarrasa y de Sabadell". Law of 18 January 1887 (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  11. ↑ "Ley fijando la división de la provincia de Alava en distritos electorales para Diputados á Cortes". Law of 10 July 1888 (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  12. ↑ "Leyes aprobando la división electoral de las provincias de León y Vizcaya". Law of 2 August 1895 (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  13. ↑ "Leyes aprobando la división electoral en las provincias de Sevilla y de Barcelona". Law of 5 July 1898 (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  14. ↑ "Ley mandando que en lo sucesivo sean cuatro los Diputados á Cortes que elegirá la circunscripción electoral de Cartagena". Law of 7 August 1899 (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  15. ↑ "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 of 24 March 1902 (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  16. ↑ "Ley disponiendo que el territorio de la Nación española que constituye el Archipiélago canario, cuya capitalidad reside en Santa Cruz de Tenerife, conserve su unidad, ateniéndose los servicios públicos en el modo y forma que se determina en esta ley". Law of 11 July 1912 (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  17. ↑ "Real decreto disponiendo que la isla de La Palma (Canarias) se divida, a los efectos de las elecciones para Diputados a Cortes, en dos distritos, que se denominarán de Santa Cruz de la Palma y de Los Llanos". Royal Decree of 20 March 1916 (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  18. 1 2 "Ley electoral de Senadores". Law of 8 February 1877 (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  19. ↑ "Real decreto disponiendo el número de Senadores que han de elegir las provincias que se citan" (PDF). Gaceta de Madrid (in Spanish). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado (76): 1021. 16 March 1899.
  20. ↑ "Real decreto declarando disueltos el Congreso de los Diputados y la parte electiva del Senado; que las Cortes se reunirán en Madrid el 18 de Marzo próximo, y que las elecciones de Diputados se verificarán en todas las provincias de la Monarquía el día 24 de Febrero, y las de Senadores el 10 de Marzo siguiente" (PDF). Gaceta de Madrid (in Spanish). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado (11): 102. 11 January 1918.
  21. ↑ Martorell Linares 1997, pp. 139–143.
  22. ↑ Martínez Relanzón 2017, pp. 147–148.
  23. ↑ "Los candidatos que luchan". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Siglo Futuro. 16 February 1918. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  24. ↑ "Los candidatos que luchan (Conclusión)". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Siglo Futuro. 18 February 1918. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  25. ↑ "Las elecciones generales". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Día. 25 February 1918. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  26. ↑ "Datos oficiales". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Heraldo de Madrid. 25 February 1918. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  27. ↑ "Después de las elecciones". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Día. 26 February 1918. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  28. ↑ "Datos oficiales". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Liberal. 26 February 1918. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  29. ↑ "Los nuevos diputados". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Mañana. 26 February 1918. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  30. ↑ "Los candidatos triunfantes". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Correspondencia de España. 26 February 1918. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  31. ↑ "Las elecciones". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Siglo Futuro. 26 February 1918. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  32. ↑ "Febrero de 1918. Día 24. Elecciones de Diputados a Cortes". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Año Político. 1 January 1919. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  33. ↑ "Elecciones de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Liberal. 11 March 1918. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  34. ↑ "Las elecciones de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Correo Español. 11 March 1918. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  35. ↑ "Las elecciones de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Nación. 11 March 1918. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  36. ↑ "Datos oficiales". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Correspondencia de España. 11 March 1918. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  37. ↑ "Las elecciones de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Época. 11 March 1918. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  38. ↑ "La elección de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Siglo Futuro. 11 March 1918. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  39. ↑ "Las elecciones de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Sol. 11 March 1918. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  40. ↑ "Marzo de 1918. Día 10. Elección de Senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Año Político. 1 January 1919. Retrieved 1 May 2023.

Bibliography

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