Valencia | |
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Corts Valencianes Electoral Constituency |
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Location of Valencia within the Valencian Community
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Province | Valencia |
Autonomous community | Valencian Community |
Population | 2,543,315 (2016) |
Electorate | 1,946,046 (2016) |
Major settlements | Valencia, Torrent, Gandía, Paterna, Sagunto |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1983 |
Seats | 35 (1983–1987) 37 (1987–2003) 36 (2003–2007) 40 (2007–) |
Member(s) |
Valencia (Valencian: València) is one of the three constituencies (Spanish: circunscripciones) represented in the Corts Valencianes, the regional legislature of the Valencian Community. The constituency currently elects 40 deputies. Its boundaries correspond to those of the Spanish province of Valencia. The electoral system uses the D'Hondt method and a closed-list proportional representation, with a minimum threshold of 5 percent regionally.
The constituency was created as per the Statute of Autonomy of the Valencian Community of 1982 and was first contested in the 1983 regional election. The Statute provided for the three provinces in the Valencian Community—Alicante, Castellón and Valencia—to be established as multi-member districts in the Corts Valencianes, with this regulation being maintained under the 1987 regional electoral law. Seats are allocated to constituencies, each entitled to an initial minimum of 20 seats, with the remaining 39—29 until 2007—allocated among the constituencies in proportion to their populations. The exception was the 1983 election, when each constituency was allocated a fixed number of seats: 29 for Alicante, 25 for Castellón and 35 for Valencia.
Voting is on the basis of universal suffrage, with all nationals over eighteen, registered in the Valencian Community and in full enjoyment of all political rights entitled to vote. Amendments to the electoral law in 2011 required for Valencians 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 5 per 100 of valid votes—which includes blank ballots—being applied regionally. 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 five percent, dependant on the district magnitude.