Editing Elections in Spain (section)

===Senate===
The system for electing the Senate was first used in 1979, though with regard to the provinces the system is unchanged since 1977. Senators are elected directly from the provinces and indirectly from the [[autonomous communities]]; currently, there are 264 senators, 208 directly elected and 56 indirectly elected.

In the provinces, a majoritarian [[Plurality-at-large voting|partial block voting]] system is used. All peninsular provinces elect four senators each; the insular provinces ([[Balearic Islands|Balearic]] and [[Canary Islands|Canary]] Islands) elect one or three senators per island, and Ceuta and Melilla elect two senators each. Parties nominate three candidates; each voter has three votes (fewer in those constituencies electing fewer senators) and votes for candidates by name, the only instance of personal voting in Spanish national elections. The usual outcome is three senators for the party with the most votes, and one senator for the runner-up, except in very close races.

The autonomous communities receive one senator, plus one for each million inhabitants. They are entitled to determine how they choose their senators but are generally elected by the legislature of the respective community in proportion to its party composition.