Biscay (Basque Parliament constituency)
| Biscay | |
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Basque Parliament Electoral Constituency |
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Location of Biscay within the Basque Country
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| Province | Biscay |
| Autonomous community | Basque Country |
| Population | 1,148,775 (2016) |
| Electorate | 948,080 (2016) |
| Major settlements | Bilbao, Barakaldo, Getxo |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 1980 |
| Seats | 20 (1980–1984) 25 (1984–) |
| Member(s) | |
Biscay (Basque: Bizkaia, Spanish: Vizcaya) is one of the three constituencies (Spanish: circunscripciones) represented in the Basque Parliament, the regional legislature of the Basque Autonomous Community. The constituency currently elects 25 deputies. Its boundaries correspond to those of the Spanish province of Biscay. The electoral system uses the D'Hondt method and a closed-list proportional representation, with a minimum threshold of 3 percent.
The constituency was created as per the Statute of Autonomy for the Basque Country of 1979 and was first contested in the 1980 regional election. The Statute provided for the three provinces in the Basque Country—Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa—to be established as multi-member districts in the Basque Parliament, with this regulation being maintained under the 1983 and 1990 regional electoral laws. Each constituency is allocated a fixed number of 25 seats each, to provide for an equal representation of the three provinces in Parliament as required under the regional Statute. The exception was the 1980 election, when this number was 60.
Voting is on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over eighteen, registered in the Basque Country and in full enjoyment of their political rights. Amendments to the electoral law in 2011 required for Basques abroad to apply for voting before being permitted to vote, a system known as "begged" or expat vote (Spanish: Voto rogado). Seats are elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with a threshold of 3 percent of valid votes—which, until 1983 and from 1990 includes blank ballots; also and until a 2000 reform, the threshold was set at 5 percent—being applied in each constituency. Parties not reaching the threshold are not taken into consideration for seat distribution. Additionally, the use of the D'Hondt method may result in an effective threshold over three percent, depending on the district magnitude.
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