October 2003 Madrilenian regional election

October 2003 Madrilenian regional election

26 October 2003
All 111 seats in the Assembly of Madrid 56 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered	4,455,706 0.3%
Turnout	2,788,495 (62.6%) 6.6 pp
First party Second party Third party   Leader Esperanza Aguirre Rafael Simancas Fausto Fernández Party PP PSOE IU Leader since 16 October 2002 26 November 2000 11 July 2002 Last election 55 seats, 46.7% 47 seats, 40.0% 9 seats, 7.7% Seats won 57 45 9 Seat change 2 2 0 Popular vote 1,346,588 1,083,205 236,013 Percentage 48.5% 39.0% 8.5% Swing 1.8 pp 1.0 pp 0.8 pp
President before election Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón (acting) PP Elected President Esperanza Aguirre PP

The October 2003 Madrilenian regional election was held on Sunday, 26 October 2003, to elect the 7th Assembly of the Community of Madrid. All 111 seats in the Assembly were up for election. It was a snap election, held as a result of the parliamentary deadlock resulting from the Tamayazo scandal after the May 2003 election.

The People's Party (PP) recovered the absolute majority it had lost in the previous election. This came at the expense of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), which suffered from the scandal of the rebel MPs who refused to support a PSOE–IU government led by Rafael Simancas. United Left (IU) saw a slight increase in support but failed to translate its gains into new seats. As a result of the election, Esperanza Aguirre was elected as President of the Community of Madrid, becoming the first woman to be appointed to the office.

Overview

Electoral system

The Assembly of Madrid was the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of Madrid, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Madrilenian Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a regional president.[1] Voting for the Assembly was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered in the Community of Madrid and in full enjoyment of their political rights.

All members of the Assembly of Madrid were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with an electoral threshold of five percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied regionally. The Assembly was entitled to one member per each 50,000 inhabitants or fraction greater than 25,000.[1][2]

Election date

The term of the Assembly of Madrid expired four years after the date of its previous election. Elections to the Assembly were fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years.[1][2][3]

The president had the prerogative to dissolve the Assembly of Madrid and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process, no nationwide election was due and some time requirements were met: namely, that dissolution did not occur either during the first legislative session or within the legislature's last year ahead of its scheduled expiry, nor before one year had elapsed since a previous dissolution.[4] In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional president within a two-month period from the first ballot, the Assembly was to be automatically dissolved and a fresh election called. Any snap election held as a result of these circumstances would not alter the period to the next ordinary election, with elected deputies merely serving out what remained of their four-year terms.[1]

Parties and candidates

The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, coalitions and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form a coalition ahead of an election were required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election call, whereas groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of at least 0.5 percent of the electorate in the Community of Madrid, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates.[2][3]

Below is a list of the main parties and electoral alliances which contested the election:

Candidacy		Parties and alliances	Leading candidate		Ideology	Previous result		Gov.	Ref.
						Votes (%)	Seats
	PP	List People's Party (PP)		Esperanza Aguirre	Conservatism Christian democracy	46.67%	55	Y
	PSOE	List Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)		Rafael Simancas	Social democracy	39.99%	47	N
	IUCM	List United Left of the Community of Madrid (IUCM)		Fausto Fernández	Socialism Communism	7.68%	9	N

Opinion polls

The table below lists voting intention estimates in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first and using the dates when the survey fieldwork was done, as opposed to the date of publication. Where the fieldwork dates are unknown, the date of publication is given instead. The highest percentage figure in each polling survey is displayed with its background shaded in the leading party's colour. If a tie ensues, this is applied to the figures with the highest percentages. The "Lead" column on the right shows the percentage-point difference between the parties with the highest percentages in a poll. When available, seat projections determined by the polling organisations are displayed below (or in place of) the percentages in a smaller font; 56 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Assembly of Madrid.

Color key:

  Exit poll

Polling firm/Commissioner	Fieldwork date	Sample size	Turnout				Lead
October 2003 regional election	26 Oct 2003	—	62.6	48.5 57	39.0 45	8.5 9	9.5
Sigma Dos/Antena 3[i][p 1][p 2]	26 Oct 2003	?	?	47.7 56	39.4 46	8.2 9	8.3
Sigma Dos/Antena 3[p 3][p 4]	26 Oct 2003	?	?	48.2 56/57	38.0 44/45	9.0 9/10	10.2
Gallup/RTVE[p 1][p 5]	26 Oct 2003	?	?	49.0 57/58	37.9 43/44	8.7 9/10	11.1
Celeste-Tel/La Razón[p 6]	19 Oct 2003	?	?	? 56/57	? 44/45	? 10/11	?
Sigma Dos/El Mundo[p 6]	19 Oct 2003	?	?	49.4 56/58	? 43/45	? 10	?
Opina[p 7]	16 Oct 2003	1,500	?	50.5 58	39.0 45	7.0 8	11.5
Opina/El País[p 8]	12–13 Oct 2003	?	?	49.5 57/58	39.0 45/46	7.1 8	10.5
PP[p 9]	9–10 Oct 2003	?	?	? 54	? 48	? 9	?
Opina/Cadena SER[p 10][p 11][p 12]	4–6 Oct 2003	1,500	?	49.5 57/58	38.0 44/45	8.0 9	11.5
CIS[p 13][p 14]	27 Sep–5 Oct 2003	1,194	63.2	50.4 57	37.4 43	10.1 11	13.0
Infortécnica[p 15]	1–30 Sep 2003	2,006	59.7	51.4 56/58	38.5 43/44	10.1 10/11	12.9
Sigma Dos/El Mundo[p 16]	29 Sep 2003	?	?	48.2 56/57	38.8 45/46	8.5 9/10	9.4
PP[p 17]	28 Sep 2003	?	?	? 57	? 45	? 9	?
TNS Demoscopia/ABC[p 18]	2–3 Sep 2003	806	?	48.4 56	39.6 45	9.4 10	8.8
Sigma Dos/El Mundo[p 19][p 20]	25 Jun 2003	800	?	48.4 56/57	39.7 45/46	7.9 9	8.7
TNS Demoscopia/Tele 5[ii][p 21]	13–14 Jun 2003	600	?	46.4	40.6	7.2	5.8
May 2003 regional election	25 May 2003	—	69.3	46.7 55	40.0 47	7.7 9	6.7
Quick count. Undecided and/or abstentionists excluded.

Results

Overall

← Summary of the 26 October 2003 Assembly of Madrid election results →

Parties and alliances		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Total	+/−
	People's Party (PP)	1,346,588	48.48	+1.81	57	+2
	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)	1,083,205	39.00	–0.99	45	–2
	United Left of the Community of Madrid (IUCM)	236,013	8.50	+0.82	9	±0
	The Greens of the Community of Madrid (LVCM)	14,067	0.51	–0.41	0	±0
	The Greens (LV)	12,665	0.46	–0.92	0	±0
	Citizens for Blank Votes (CenB)	8,111	0.29	New	0	±0
	New Socialism (NS)	6,176	0.22	New	0	±0
	National Democracy (DN)	3,694	0.13	+0.02	0	±0
	Family and Life Party (PFyV)	2,326	0.08	–0.05	0	±0
	The Phalanx (FE)	2,212	0.08	–0.05	0	±0
	Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (FE–JONS)^1	2,036	0.07	–0.01	0	±0
	Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE)	1,894	0.07	–0.01	0	±0
	Romantic Mutual Support Party (PMAR)	1,504	0.05	New	0	±0
	Party Association of Widows and Legal Wives (PAVIEL)	1,461	0.05	–0.02	0	±0
	Republican Left (IR)	1,396	0.05	–0.03	0	±0
	Humanist Party (PH)	1,323	0.05	–0.02	0	±0
	Madrilenian Independent Regional Party (PRIM)	1,255	0.05	–0.02	0	±0
	Commoners' Land–Castilian Nationalist Party (TC–PNC)	1,135	0.04	–0.02	0	±0
	Another Democracy is Possible (ODeP)	904	0.03	–0.03	0	±0
	Citizen Unity (UC)	776	0.03	–0.03	0	±0
	Federal Progressives (PF)	448	0.02	New	0	±0
	Spanish Democratic Party (PADE)	0	0.00	–0.12	0	±0
Blank ballots		48,433	1.74	–0.25
Total		2,777,622			111	±0
Valid votes		2,777,622	99.61	+0.06
Invalid votes		10,873	0.39	–0.06
Votes cast / turnout		2,788,495	62.58	–6.69
Abstentions		1,667,211	37.42	+6.69
Registered voters		4,455,706
Sources[5][6]
Footnotes: ^1 Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO results are compared to Independent Spanish Phalanx–Phalanx 2000 totals in the May 2003 election.

Popular vote PP   48.48% PSOE   39.00% IUCM   8.50% Others   2.28% Blank ballots   1.74%

Seats PP   51.35% PSOE   40.54% IUCM   8.11%

Elected legislators

The following table lists the elected legislators sorted by order of election.[7]

Elected legislators
#	Name	List
1	Esperanza Aguirre Gil de Biedma		PP
2	Rafael Simancas Simancas		PSOE
3	Miguel Ángel Villanueva González		PP
4	Matilde Fernández Sanz		PSOE
5	Juan José Güemes Barrios		PP
6	Luis María López Guerra		PSOE
7	Concepción Dancausa Treviño		PP
8	Inés Alberdi Alonso		PSOE
9	Beatriz Elorriaga Pisarik		PP
10	Fausto Fernández Díaz		IUCM
11	Alberto López Viejo		PP
12	Pedro Feliciano Sabando Suárez		PSOE
13	Antonio Germán Beteta Barreda		PP
14	Ruth Porta Cantoni		PSOE
15	Francisco José Granados Lerena		PP
16	Carlos Westendorp Cabeza		PSOE
17	Luis Eduardo Cortés Muñoz		PP
18	María Helena Almazán Vicario		PSOE
19	Rosa María Posada Chapado		PP
20	María Paloma Adrados Gautier		PP
21	Francisco Cabaco López		PSOE
22	Eduardo Cuenca Cañizares		IUCM
23	Luis Peral Guerra		PP
24	María Encarnación Moya Nieto		PSOE
25	María Carmen Álvarez-Arenas Cisneros		PP
26	José Antonio Díaz Martínez		PSOE
27	José Ignacio Echániz Salgado		PP
28	María Soledad Mestre García		PSOE
29	Luis Manuel Partida Brunete		PP
30	María Gador Ongil Cores		PP
31	José Quintana Viar		PSOE
32	José Ignacio Echeverría Echániz		PP
33	Miguel Ángel Reneses González Solares		IUCM
34	José Manuel Franco Pardo		PSOE
35	Juan Van-Halen Acedo		PP
36	Manuel Sánchez Cifuentes		PSOE
37	Fernando Martínez Vidal		PP
38	María Ángeles Martínez Herrando		PSOE
39	María Cristina Cifuentes Cuencas		PP
40	Juan Soler-Espiauba Gallo		PP
41	María Isabel Manzano Martínez		PSOE
42	Pedro Muñoz Abrines		PP
43	José Carmelo Cepeda García		PSOE
44	María Caridad García Álvarez		IUCM
45	Paloma Martín Martín		PP
46	Antonio Chazarra Montiel		PSOE
47	Sylvia Enseñat de Carlos		PP
48	Ana María Arroyo Veneroso		PSOE
49	Luis del Olmo Flórez		PP
50	Regino García-Badell Arias		PP
51	Modesto Nolla Estrada		PSOE
52	José María Federico Corral		PP
53	Francisco Hernández Ballesteros		PSOE
54	María Isabel Martínez-Cubells Yraola		PP
55	Margarita María Ferré Luparia		IUCM
56	Lucila María Corral Ruiz		PSOE
57	Álvaro Ramón Renedo Sedano		PP
58	Francisco Contreras Lorenzo		PSOE
59	Elena de Utrilla Palombi		PP
60	Francisco Javier Rodríguez Rodríguez		PP
61	Jorge Gómez Moreno		PSOE
62	Jesús Fermosel Díaz		PP
63	María Patrocinio Las Heras Pinilla		PSOE
64	David Pérez García		PP
65	Francisco Javier Gómez Gómez		PSOE
66	Benjamín Martín Vasco		PP
67	Jorge García Castaño		IUCM
68	Óscar José Monterrubio Rodríguez		PSOE
69	María Carmen Rodríguez Flores		PP
70	Álvaro Moraga Valiente		PP
71	Carmen García Rojas		PSOE
72	Isabel Gema González González		PP
73	Andrés Rojo Cubero		PSOE
74	Concepción Lostau Martínez		PP
75	Alicia Acebes Carabaño		PSOE
76	Francisco de Borja Sarasola Jáudenes		PP
77	Eduardo Sánchez Gatell		PSOE
78	Luis Suárez Machota		IUCM
79	Pilar Busó Borús		PP
80	Laura de Esteban Martín		PP
81	Rafael Gómez Montoya		PSOE
82	Eduardo Oficialdegui Alonso de Celada		PP
83	María Paz Martín Lozano		PSOE
84	Sonsoles Trinidad Aboín Aboín		PP
85	Marcos Sanz Agüero		PSOE
86	Colomán Trabado Pérez		PP
87	Antonio Fernández Gordillo		PSOE
88	Jesús Adriano Valverde Bocanegra		PP
89	José Guillermo Fernando Marín Calvo		IUCM
90	María Maravillas Martínez Doncel		PSOE
91	María Isabel Redondo Alcaide		PP
92	Pablo Morillo Casals		PP
93	Alejandro Fernández Martín		PSOE
94	María Pilar Liébana Montijano		PP
95	Juan Antonio Ruiz Castillo		PSOE
96	Carlos Clemente Aguado		PP
97	Adolfo Navarro Muñoz		PSOE
98	Oliva Cristina García Robredo		PP
99	Enrique Echegoyen Vera		PSOE
100	Jacobo Ramón Beltrán Pedreira		PP
101	María de los Reyes Montiel Mesa		IUCM
102	Federico Jiménez de Parga Maseda		PP
103	María Dolores Rodríguez Gabucio		PSOE
104	Francisco de Borja Carabante Muntada		PP
105	Adolfo Piñedo Simal		PSOE
106	José Cabrera Orellana		PP
107	María Antonia García Fernández		PSOE
108	Pablo Abejas Juárez		PP
109	Francisco Garrido Hernández		PSOE
110	Juan José García Ferrer		PP
111	María Teresa Cristina Calatayud Prieto		PP

Aftermath

Investiture processes to elect the President of the Community of Madrid required for an absolute majority—more than half the votes cast—to be obtained in the first ballot. If unsuccessful, a new ballot would be held 48 hours later requiring of a simple majority—more affirmative than negative votes—to succeed. If none of such majorities were achieved, successive candidate proposals could be processed under the same procedure. In the event of the investiture process failing to elect a regional President within a two-month period from the first ballot, the Assembly would be automatically dissolved and a snap election called.[1]

Investiture Esperanza Aguirre (PP)
Ballot →		20 November 2003
Required majority →		56 out of 111 Y
	Yes • PP (57)	57 / 111
	No • PSOE (45) • IUCM (9)	54 / 111
	Abstentions	0 / 111
	Absentees	0 / 111
Sources[5]

References

Opinion poll sources

1. "Los primeros sondeos dan la mayoría absoluta al PP en Madrid". El Mundo (in Spanish). 26 October 2003.
2. "Escaños y % según los sondeos". El Mundo (in Spanish). 26 October 2003. Archived from the original on 28 October 2003.
3. "Los sondeos a pie de urna le otorgan la mayoría absoluta al PP". El País (in Spanish). 26 October 2003.
4. "El PP obtiene mayoría absoluta, según los sondeos". ABC (in Spanish). 26 October 2003.
5. "El PP vence en Madrid, según sondeos a pie de urna". La Hora Nacional (in Spanish). 26 October 2003.
6. "El Partido Popular recupera la mayoría absoluta". El Mundo (in Spanish). 19 October 2003.
7. "Intención de voto. Comunidad de Madrid. 16 de octubre de 2003" (PDF). Instituto Opina (in Spanish). 16 October 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 August 2005.
8. "Aguirre conseguirá mayoría absoluta". El País (in Spanish). 19 October 2003.
9. "Una encuesta del PSOE le da un diputado más". ABC (in Spanish). 14 October 2003.
10. "Mayoría absoluta para el PP en Madrid, según el Pulsómetro". Cadena SER (in Spanish). 10 October 2003.
11. "Pulsómetro 10/10/2003". Cadena SER (in Spanish). 10 October 2003. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015.
12. "Un sondeo de la SER pronostica mayoría absoluta para Aguirre". El País (in Spanish). 11 October 2003.
13. "Preelectoral elecciones autonómicas, 2003. CA de Madrid (Estudio nº 2539. Septiembre-Octubre 2003)" (PDF). CIS (in Spanish). 16 October 2003.
14. "El PSOE paga la fuga de Tamayo y entrega al PP la mayoría absoluta en Madrid, según el CIS". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 17 October 2003.
15. "Prospectiva Electoral de la Comunidad de Madrid". Infortécnica (in Spanish). September 2003.
16. "El Partido Popular recupera la mayoría absoluta". El Mundo (in Spanish). 29 September 2003.
17. "Una encuesta del PP le da mayoría absoluta". ABC (in Spanish). 28 September 2003.
18. "El PP lograría la mayoría absoluta por un solo diputado en Madrid tras la crisis de la Asamblea". ABC (in Spanish). 7 September 2003.
19. "El partido socialista perdería el Gobierno de Madrid si se celebran unas nuevas elecciones". El Mundo (in Spanish). 27 June 2003.
20. "Intención de voto en la Comunidad de Madrid". El Mundo (in Spanish). 27 June 2003.
21. "Los madrileños no cambiarán su voto, según una encuesta de Tele 5". El País (in Spanish). 16 June 2003.

Other

1. Ley Orgánica 3/1983, de 25 de febrero, de Estatuto de Autonomía de la Comunidad de Madrid (Organic Law 3) (in Spanish). 25 February 1983. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
2. Ley 11/1986, de 16 de diciembre, Electoral de la Comunidad de Madrid (Law 11) (in Spanish). 16 November 1986. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
3. Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General (Organic Law 5) (in Spanish). 19 June 1985. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
4. Ley 5/1990, de 17 de mayo, reguladora de la facultad de disolución de la Asamblea de Madrid por el Presidente de la Comunidad (Law 5) (in Spanish). 17 May 1990. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
5. "Elecciones a la Asamblea de Madrid (1983-2021)". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 October 2021.
6. "Elecciones a la Asamblea de Madrid Octubre 2003" (PDF) (in Spanish). Boletín Oficial de la Comunidad de Madrid. 24 November 2003. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
7. Junta Electoral Provincial de Madrid: "Elecciones a la Asamblea de Madrid Octubre 2003" (PDF). Boletín Oficial de la Comunidad de Madrid (280): 77–78. 24 November 2003. ISSN 1989-4791.