All Spain elections

1916 Spanish General Election

9 April 1916 · The Restoration and the turno pacífico · 409 seats, 205 for a majority

A general election was held in Spain on 9 April 1916 (for the Congress of Deputies), and on 23 April 1916 (for the Senate), to elect the members of the 16th Cortes under the Spanish Constitution of 1876, during the Restoration period. All 409 seats in the Congress of Deputies were up for election, as well as 180 of 360 seats in the Senate.

A turno pacífico election: the result was largely arranged in advance through the Interior Ministry's encasillado and enforced locally by caciques. The recorded majorities describe the system, not free voting.

Prime Minister before

Count of Romanones

Liberal

Prime Minister (continued)

Count of Romanones

Liberal

Largest force

Liberal–Democratic

228 of 409 seats

Turnout

The result

Share of the Congress
Liberal–DemocraticCount of Romanones228+111
ConservativeEduardo Dato89-102
MauristAntonio Maura18-7
ReformistMelquíades Álvarez14-2
RegionalistEnric Prat de la Riba130
Republican–SocialistRoberto Castrovido130

34 further seats went to parties and independents outside the main contenders listed above.