Electoral Parity

What is electoral parity?

Electoral parity is the balanced presence of women and men in the field of political representation.

The Organic Law on the General Electoral System requires the balanced composition of electoral lists presented in elections to the Congress of Deputies, local elections, Island Councils, Canary Island Councils, the European Parliament and the Legislative Assemblies of the Autonomous Regions.

This balanced composition of women and men implies the following:

In the list for the elections to the Congress of Deputies as a whole and, in any event, in each tranche of 5 positions, candidates of either sex may not make up less than 40% of the representation.

When the candidatures for the Senate are grouped together on lists, these lists will also have a balanced composition of women and men, in such a way that the proportion of women and men is as close as possible to a numerical balance.

Further information:

• Instruction 5/2007, of 12 April (PDF) (A new window will open) of the Central Electoral Commission, on the application of articles 44.bis and 187.2 of the LOREG in the wording given by Organic Law 3/2007, of 22 March, for the effective equality of women and men.
• Resolution 15/09/2011 of the CEC interpretation of article 171.2 of the LOREG (A new window will open)