Next Spanish general election facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Next Spanish general election

← 2019 (Nov) No later than 10 December 2023
← outgoing members
All 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies and 208 (of 266) seats in the Senate 176 seats needed for a majority in the Congress of Deputies
Opinion polls
Leader Pedro Sánchez Pablo Casado Santiago Abascal Party PSOE PP Vox Leader since 18 June 2017 21 July 2018 20 September 2014 Leader's seat Madrid Madrid Madrid Last election 120 seats, 28.0% 89 seats, 20.8% 52 seats, 15.1% Current seats 120 88 52 Seats needed 56 88 124   Leader Pablo Iglesias Gabriel Rufián Inés Arrimadas Party Unidas Podemos ERC–Sobiranistes Cs Leader since 15 November 2014 14 October 2019 14 March 2020 Leader's seat Madrid Barcelona Barcelona Last election 35 seats, 12.8% 13 seats, 3.6% 10 seats, 6.8% Current seats 35 13 10 Seats needed 141 N/A 166
Incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez PSOE

Spain is getting ready for its next general election. This important vote will happen no later than Sunday, December 10, 2023. During this election, people will choose new members for the 15th Cortes Generales, which is Spain's main law-making body.

Voters will pick all 350 members for the Congress of Deputies. They will also choose 208 out of 265 members for the Senate. These two groups work together to make laws for the country.

Understanding the Election

A general election is when citizens vote for people to represent them in the government. In Spain, this means choosing members for the Congress of Deputies and the Senate. These elected officials then work to make decisions for the country.

What are the Cortes Generales?

The Cortes Generales is like Spain's parliament. It has two parts:

• The Congress of Deputies is the more powerful part. It has 350 members. To form a government, a political party or a group of parties needs at least 176 seats in the Congress.
• The Senate is the other part. It has fewer members and usually reviews laws passed by the Congress.

Why are Elections Important?

Elections are how people choose their leaders. They decide which political parties and individuals will represent them. This helps make sure the government listens to the people.

What are Opinion Polls?

10-point average trend line of poll results from 10 November 2019 to the present day

Opinion polls are like surveys that ask people who they plan to vote for. They help us guess what might happen in an election before it takes place.

How Polls Work

Polls ask a small group of people about their choices. Then, they use this information to estimate what the larger population thinks. It's like asking a few students in a class what their favorite subject is to guess what the whole school likes.

What the Polls Show

The image next to this section shows how different political parties have been doing in these polls since November 2019. The lines show the average support for each party over time. This helps us see which parties are gaining or losing popularity.