Barcelona (Spanish Congress Electoral District)

Barcelona
Congress of Deputies Electoral Constituency
Location of Barcelona within Spain
Province	Barcelona
Autonomous community	Catalonia
Population	5,523,922 (2016)
Electorate	4,131,319 (2016)
Major settlements	Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Badalona, Terrassa, Sabadell, Mataró, Santa Coloma de Gramanet
Current constituency
Created	1977
Seats	33 (1977–1989) 32 (1989–1996) 31 (1996–)

Barcelona is one of the 52 constituencies (Spanish: circunscripciones) represented in the Congress of Deputies—the lower chamber of the Spanish parliament, the Cortes Generales—. The constituency elects 31 deputies. The electoral system uses the D'Hondt method and a closed-list proportional representation, with a minimum threshold of 3%.

The constituency was created as per the Political Reform Act 1977 and was first contested in the 1977 general election. The Act provided for the provinces of Spain to be established as multi-member districts for the Congress of Deputies, with this regulation being maintained under Article 68.2 of the Spanish Constitution of 1978. Additionally, Article 141.1 of the Constitution would require for any modification of the provincial limits to be approved under an organic law, needing an absolute majority in the Cortes Generales.

The Spanish electoral system is regulated under the General Electoral System Organic Law 5/1985. Voting is on the basis of universal suffrage, with all nationals over eighteen and in the full enjoyment of all political rights entitled to vote—the only exception being in 1977, when this was limited to nationals over twenty-one and in the full enjoyment of all political and civil rights—. A 2011 amendment to the electoral law required for Spaniards abroad to apply for voting before being permitted to vote, a system known as "requested" or expat vote (Spanish: Voto rogado). Provinces are entitled to an initial minimum of two seats, with additional seats awarded in proportion to population. The number of seats allocated to Barcelona is currently set at 31. Deputies are elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with a threshold of 3% of valid votes—which includes blank ballots—being applied. Parties not reaching the threshold are not taken into consideration for seat distribution.