Regions of Spain
The Andalucian Regional Election
By m.p.
Mar 4, 2008 - 8:33 AM

Elections to the regional parliament of Andalucía take place on 9th March 2008, the eighth such poll since the region came into being as the Autonomous Community of Andalucía in December 1981.
There are 109 parliamentary seats in the chamber, representing the people of Andalucía’s eight provinces. Each province is allocated a minimum of eight seats, with the remaining 45 seats distributed in line with population figures; in other words the province with the highest population would be represented with the highest number of seats. The numbers allocated for the eighth legislature are: Almería province, 12 seats; Cádiz province, 15 seats; Córdoba province, 12 seats; Granada province, 13 seats; Huelva province, 11 seats; Jaén province, 12 seats; Málaga province, 16 seats; and Sevilla province, 18 seats.

The electoral process is overseen in Spain through a permanent central body of the Junta Electoral Central in Madrid, with permanent regional bodies overseeing elections in each of the regions, in Andalucía’s case, through the Junta Electoral de Andalucía. Each province then has its own provincial body, and below that the district Juntas Electorales – 59 in Andalucía. Each political party must present its candidates for election to the Junta Electoral for its province.
Twenty parties are presenting candidates for the March 2008 poll, but only half have lists for all eight provinces.

More than 6.2 million people have the right to vote in the 2008 regional election: the census includes Spanish nationals registered in any municipality in Andalucía, or those living abroad who have registered their previous place of residence in Andalucía with the Spanish Consulate in their current country of residence. Current legislation excludes non-Spanish residents of Andalucía from voting, as it does from any regional or general election in Spain. European Union nationals do have the right to vote in the municipal elections, however.
Inscription on the electoral census is automatic with registration as a resident on the local municipal registry, the padrón municipal. The census for each election is based on the details held on the first day of the month preceding the month when the election takes place.

Turnout was high in the last regional election in 2004, when 74.66% of the eligible electorate turned out to place their votes. It gave a victory, with 51.07% of the vote, to the party which has led the government of Andalucía since the first election to Andalucía’s parliament was held in May 1982: the Partido Socialista Obrero Español de Andalucía – PSOE-A.
The main candidates for Presidency of the Junta de Andalucía on this occasion are: PSOE-A, Manuel Chaves, President of PSOE and General Secretary of PSOE-A (President of the Junta de Andalucía since 1990);
Partido Popular Andalucía, Javier Arenas, President of the PP-A (the former Employment Minister who has stood against Chaves on two previous occasions);
IULV-CA (Izquierda Unida Los Verdes Convocatoria por Andalucía), Diego Valderas, General Co-ordinator of IULV-CA.
Coalición Andalucista (an electoral coalition formed by the Partido Andalucista, Partido Socialista de Andalucía and other parties), Julián Álvarez, General Secretary of the PA.

Recent polls on voting intention have forecast another absolute majority for PSOE-A, but with fewer seats in the regional parliament and a greater number for the PP-A.

Details of progress on the day of voting on 9th March will be published on an electoral web created by the Junta de Andalucía regional government, www.eleccionesandalucia2008.es, which also includes detailed information on the electoral process in Andalucía.