# 2023 Asturian regional election

The 2023 Asturian regional election was held on Sunday, 28 May 2023, to elect the 12th General Junta of the Principality of Asturias. All 45 seats in the General Junta were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in eleven other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

## Overview
### Electoral system

The General Junta of the Principality of Asturias was the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of Asturias, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Asturian Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a regional president. Voting for the General Junta was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered in Asturias and in full enjoyment of their political rights. Amendments to the electoral law in 2022 abolished the "begged" or expat vote system (Spanish: Voto rogado), under which Spaniards abroad were required to apply for voting before being permitted to vote. The expat vote system was attributed responsibility for a major decrease in the turnout of Spaniards abroad during the years it had been in force.
The 45 members of the General Junta of the Principality of Asturias were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with an electoral threshold of three percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each constituency. Seats were allocated to constituencies, which were established as follows:
* Central District, comprising the municipalities of Aller, Avilés, Bimenes, Carreño, Caso, Castrillón, Corvera de Asturias, Gijón, Gozón, Illas, Las Regueras, Langreo, Laviana, Lena, Llanera, Mieres, Morcín, Noreña, Oviedo, Proaza, Quirós, Ribera de Arriba, Riosa, San Martín del Rey Aurelio, Santo Adriano, Sariego, Siero, Sobrescobio and Soto del Barco).
* Eastern District, comprising the municipalities of Amieva, Cabrales, Cabranes, Cangas de Onís, Caravia, Colunga, Llanes, Nava, Onís, Parres, Peñamellera Alta, Peñamellera Baja, Piloña, Ponga, Ribadedeva, Ribadesella and Villaviciosa).
* Western District, comprising the municipalities of Allande, Belmonte de Miranda, Boal, Candamo, Cangas del Narcea, Castropol, Coaña, Cudillero, Degaña, El Franco, Grado, Grandas de Salime, Ibias, Illano, Muros de Nalón, Navia, Pesoz, Pravia, Salas, San Martín de Oscos, Santa Eulalia de Oscos, San Tirso de Abres, Somiedo, Tapia de Casariego, Taramundi, Teverga, Tineo, Valdés, Vegadeo, Villanueva de Oscos, Villayón and Yernes y Tameza).
Each constituency was allocated an initial minimum of two seats, with the remaining 39 being distributed in proportion to their populations.
As a result of the aforementioned allocation, each General Junta constituency was entitled the following seats:
| Seats | Constituencies |
| 34 | Central District |
| 6 | Western District |
| 5 | Eastern District |
In smaller constituencies, the use of the electoral method resulted in an effective threshold based on the district magnitude and the distribution of votes among candidacies.

### Election date

The term of the General Junta of the Principality of Asturias expired four years after the date of its previous election. Elections to the General Junta were fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years. The previous election was held on 26 May 2019, setting the election date for the General Junta on Sunday, 28 May 2023.
The president had the prerogative to dissolve the General Junta 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 under this procedure. In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional president within a two-month period from the first ballot, the General Junta 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.
The election to the General Junta of the Principality of Asturias was officially triggered on 4 April 2023 after the publication of the election decree in the Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias (BOPA).

## Parliamentary composition

The table below shows the composition of the parliamentary groups in the General Junta at the time of the election call.
Parliamentary composition in April 2023 :
| Groups | Groups | Parties | Parties | Legislators | Legislators |
| Groups | Groups | Parties | Parties | Seats | Total |
| | Socialist Parliamentary Group | | PSOE | 20 | 20 |
| | People's Parliamentary Group | | PP | 10 | 10 |
| | Citizens Parliamentary Group | | CS | 4 | 4 |
| | We Can Asturias Parliamentary Group | | Podemos | 4 | 4 |
| | Asturias Forum Parliamentary Group | | Foro | 2 | 2 |
| | United Left Parliamentary Group | | IU/IX | 2 | 2 |
| | Vox Parliamentary Group | | Vox | 2 | 2 |
| | Mixed Parliamentary Group | | INDEP | 1 | 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 one percent of the electorate in the constituencies for which they sought election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates.
Below is a list of the main parties and electoral alliances which contested the election:
| Candidacy | Candidacy | Parties and alliances | Leading candidate | Leading candidate | Ideology | Previous result | Previous result | Gov. | Ref. |
| Candidacy | Candidacy | Parties and alliances | Leading candidate | Leading candidate | Ideology | Votes (%) | Seats | Gov. | Ref. |
| | PSOE | List Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) | | Adrián Barbón | Social democracy | 35.26% | 20 | Y | |
| | PP | List People's Party (PP) | | Diego Canga | Conservatism Christian democracy | 17.52% | 10 | N | |
| | CS | List Citizens–Party of the Citizenry (CS) | | Manuel Iñarra | Liberalism | 13.97% | 5 | N | [13] [14] [15] |
| | Podemos Asturies | List We Can Asturias (Podemos Asturies) | | Covadonga Tomé | Left-wing populism Direct democracy Democratic socialism | 11.04% | 4 | N | |
| | IU–MP–IAS | List United Left of Asturias (IU/IX) – Communist Party of Asturias (PCAsturias) – The Dawn. Marxist Organization OM (La Aurora (om)) – Republican Left (IR) More Country (Más País) Asturian Left (IAS) | | Ovidio Zapico | Socialism Communism | 6.62% | 2 | N | [17] [18] |
| | Foro | List Asturias Forum (Foro) | | Adrián Pumares | Regionalism Conservatism | 6.52% | 2 | N | |
| | Vox | List Vox (Vox) | | Carolina López | Right-wing populism Ultranationalism National conservatism | 6.43% | 2 | N | [20] [21] |

## Campaign
### Election debates

2023 Asturian regional election debates :
| Date | Organisers | Moderator(s) | P Present | P Present | P Present | P Present | P Present | P Present | P Present | P Present | P Present |
| Date | Organisers | Moderator(s) | PSOE | PP | CS | Podemos | CxAst | Foro | Vox | Audience | Ref. |
| 17 May | RTPA | Nacho Monserrat Natalia Alonso | P Barbón | P Canga | P Iñarra | P Tomé | P Zapico | P Pumares | P López | 6.8% (19,000) | [22] [23] |

## Opinion polls

The tables below list opinion polling results 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.

### Voting intention estimates

The table below lists weighted voting intention estimates. Refusals are generally excluded from the party vote percentages, while question wording and the treatment of "don't know" responses and those not intending to vote may vary between polling organisations. When available, seat projections determined by the polling organisations are displayed below (or in place of) the percentages in a smaller font; 23 seats were required for an absolute majority in the General Junta of the Principality of Asturias.
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Turnout | | | | | | | | | SOS | Lead |
| 2023 regional election | 28 May 2023 | — | 56.8 | 36.5 19 | 32.6 17 | 0.9 0 | 3.9 1 | 7.6 3 | 3.7 1 | 10.1 4 | – | 1.1 0 | 3.9 |
| NC Report/La Razón | 22 May 2023 | ? | ? | 36.8 19/20 | 32.3 17/18 | – | | | 4.8 1 | 9.3 3 | 10.5 4 | – | 4.5 |
| KeyData/Público | 17 May 2023 | ? | 60.1 | 35.7 19 | 29.8 16 | 1.8 0 | 7.6 3 | 6.4 2 | 4.7 1 | 9.3 4 | – | – | 5.9 |
| ElectoPanel/El Plural | 11–17 May 2023 | 600 | ? | 37.2 20 | 28.8 16 | 2.0 0 | 6.6 2 | 6.4 2 | 4.6 1 | 10.7 4 | – | 0.9 0 | 8.4 |
| GESOP/La Nueva España | 2–17 May 2023 | 2,806 | ? | 36.4 18/20 | 29.5 15/16 | 2.0 0 | 5.3 2 | 7.3 3 | 4.1 1 | 10.2 4/5 | – | 1.0 0 | 6.9 |
| ElectoPanel/El Plural | 4–10 May 2023 | 600 | ? | 37.1 20 | 28.8 16 | 2.1 0 | 6.5 2 | 6.6 2 | 4.6 1 | 10.7 4 | – | 0.8 0 | 8.3 |
| GAD3/Vocento | 28 Apr–3 May 2023 | 1,004 | ? | 37.8 19/20 | 31.9 17 | 1.3 0 | 5.0 2 | 6.3 2 | 4.7 1 | 9.9 3/4 | – | – | 5.9 |
| ElectoPanel/El Plural | 26 Apr–3 May 2023 | 600 | ? | 37.3 20 | 29.4 16 | 2.2 0 | 6.3 2 | 6.3 2 | 4.8 1 | 10.4 4 | – | 0.8 0 | 7.9 |
| Sondaxe/La Voz de Asturias | 24 Apr–2 May 2023 | 800 | ? | 34.5 19 | 28.8 16 | 2.6 0 | 9.3 4 | 6.6 2 | 4.6 1 | 8.1 3 | – | – | 5.7 |
| CIS | 10–26 Apr 2023 | 494 | ? | 36.7 | 27.3 | 3.7 | 8.0 | 6.8 | 4.5 | 9.1 | – | – | 9.4 |
| ElectoPanel/El Plural | 19–25 Apr 2023 | 600 | ? | 37.3 20 | 28.5 15 | 2.1 0 | 6.3 2 | 6.6 2 | 5.1 2 | 10.8 4 | – | 0.9 0 | 8.8 |
| GAD3/PP | 14–18 Apr 2023 | 1,014 | ? | 36.3 18/19 | 33.9 17 | 1.3 0 | 7.0 2/3 | 5.2 2 | 2.3 0/1 | 10.8 4/5 | – | – | 2.4 |
| ElectoPanel/El Plural | 12–18 Apr 2023 | 600 | ? | 37.7 20 | 27.9 15 | 2.1 0 | 7.0 2 | 6.1 2 | 5.2 2 | 11.0 4 | – | 0.9 0 | 9.8 |
| Simple Lógica/elDiario.es | 4–13 Apr 2023 | 452 | ? | 36.6 19/20 | 27.8 15/16 | 3.0 0 | 5.8 2/3 | 12.9 3/4 | 3.4 0/1 | 8.9 3/4 | – | – | 8.8 |
| ElectoPanel/El Plural | 5–11 Apr 2023 | 600 | ? | 38.5 20 | 26.6 13 | 1.8 0 | 7.3 3 | 6.5 2 | 5.1 2 | 11.2 4 | – | 0.9 1 | 11.9 |
| ElectoPanel/El Plural | 27 Mar–4 Apr 2023 | 600 | ? | 38.8 20 | 26.0 13 | 1.7 0 | 7.4 3 | 6.5 2 | 5.1 2 | 11.5 4 | – | 0.9 1 | 12.8 |
| NC Report/La Razón | 3–10 Mar 2023 | ? | 54.9 | 33.4 18 | 31.4 17 | – | | | 5.0 1 | 8.9 3 | 15.2 6 | – | 2.0 |
| GAD3/IU | 1–7 Mar 2023 | 2,003 | ? | 34.8 18/19 | 32.4 16 | 2.3 0 | 8.3 3 | 6.0 2 | 4.8 1/2 | 10.4 4 | – | – | 2.4 |
| ElectoPanel/Electomanía | 15 Jan–26 Feb 2023 | 1,101 | ? | ? 21 | ? 12 | ? 0 | ? 3 | ? 2 | ? 2 | ? 4 | – | ? 1 | ? |
| Sigma Dos/El Mundo | 9–15 Dec 2022 | 711 | ? | 33.9 19 | 26.9 15 | 4.5 0/1 | 8.8 3/4 | 6.4 2 | 4.7 0/1 | 10.9 4 | – | – | 7.0 |
| CIS | 17 Nov–2 Dec 2022 | 266 | ? | 45.5 | 19.3 | 1.6 | | | 0.5 | 8.4 | 14.9 | – | 26.2 |
| ElectoPanel/Electomanía | 1 Jun–13 Jul 2022 | 231 | ? | 42.1 22 | 19.5 11 | 1.6 0 | 7.8 3 | 6.4 2 | 5.4 2 | 13.0 5 | – | 0.8 0 | 22.6 |
| Metroscopia/PP | 23–29 Jun 2022 | 800 | ? | 33.7 17 | 35.4 19 | 1.0 0 | 8.7 3 | 5.1 2 | 1.6 0 | 11.5 4 | – | – | 1.7 |
| La Nueva España | 23 Mar–7 Apr 2022 | ? | ? | ? 20/21 | ? 10 | ? 0 | ? 4 | ? 2 | ? 2 | ? 4/5 | – | – | ? |
| ElectoPanel/Electomanía | 15 Oct–29 Nov 2021 | 1,093 | ? | 41.4 23 | 20.6 11 | 2.1 0 | 8.4 3 | 6.4 2 | 6.5 2 | 11.1 4 | – | – | 20.8 |
| ElectoPanel/Electomanía | 15 Apr 2021 | 800 | ? | 42.4 22 | 21.5 11 | 4.0 1 | 7.7 3 | 5.2 2 | 5.4 2 | 10.0 4 | – | – | 20.9 |
| SyM Consulting | 27–31 Dec 2020 | 1,276 | 60.6 | 35.8 18 | 16.9 8 | 9.1 4 | 13.9 6/7 | 6.9 3 | 6.4 2 | 8.2 3/4 | – | – | 18.9 |
| ElectoPanel/Electomanía | 1 Apr–15 May 2020 | ? | ? | 43.3 23 | 19.6 10 | 7.2 2 | 5.8 2 | 7.2 3 | 5.0 1 | 10.0 4 | – | – | 23.7 |
| SyM Consulting | 4–6 May 2020 | 1,194 | 62.2 | 43.9 23/24 | 19.8 10 | 6.4 2 | 6.3 2/3 | 6.6 2 | 4.2 1 | 11.1 4 | – | – | 24.1 |
| November 2019 general election | 10 Nov 2019 | — | 58.1 | 33.3 | 23.2 | 6.7 | | | | 15.9 | 16.0 | – | 10.1 |
| 2019 regional election | 26 May 2019 | — | 55.1 | 35.3 20 | 17.5 10 | 14.0 5 | 11.0 4 | 6.6 2 | 6.5 2 | 6.4 2 | – | – | 17.8 |

### Voting preferences

The table below lists raw, unweighted voting preferences.
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | | | | | | | | | ? | N | Lead |
| 2023 regional election | 28 May 2023 | — | 23.2 | 20.7 | 0.6 | 2.5 | 4.8 | 2.3 | 6.4 | – | — | 35.6 | 2.5 |
| Sondaxe/La Voz de Asturias | 24 Apr–2 May 2023 | 800 | 19.0 | 15.9 | – | 4.3 | 2.9 | – | 3.9 | – | – | – | 3.1 |
| CIS | 10–26 Apr 2023 | 494 | 28.9 | 19.7 | 1.7 | 4.5 | 5.6 | 2.8 | 6.2 | – | 25.6 | 1.7 | 9.2 |
| CIS | 17 Nov–2 Dec 2022 | 266 | 25.9 | 12.7 | 0.6 | | | 0.4 | 6.5 | 9.5 | 34.6 | 4.4 | 13.2 |
| November 2019 general election | 10 Nov 2019 | — | 21.6 | 15.1 | 4.3 | | | | 10.3 | 10.4 | — | 34.5 | 6.5 |
| 2019 regional election | 26 May 2019 | — | 21.8 | 10.8 | 8.6 | 6.8 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.0 | – | — | 37.6 | 11.0 |

## Results
### Overall

← Summary of the 28 May 2023 General Junta of the Principality of Asturias election results :
| Parties and alliances | Parties and alliances | Popular vote | Popular vote | Popular vote | Seats | Seats |
| Parties and alliances | Parties and alliances | Votes | % | ±pp | Total | +/− |
| | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) | 195,999 | 36.50 | +1.24 | 19 | –1 |
| | People's Party (PP) | 175,131 | 32.61 | +15.09 | 17 | +7 |
| | Vox (Vox) | 54,273 | 10.11 | +3.68 | 4 | +2 |
| | Assembly for Asturias United Left–More Country–Asturian Left (IU–MP–IAS)$^1$ | 40,774 | 7.59 | +0.97 | 3 | +1 |
| | We Can Asturias (Podemos Asturies) | 21,052 | 3.92 | –7.12 | 1 | –3 |
| | Asturias Forum (Foro) | 19,652 | 3.66 | –2.86 | 1 | –1 |
| | SOS Asturias–Empty Spain (SOS Asturias) | 5,838 | 1.09 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Citizens–Party of the Citizenry (CS) | 4,974 | 0.93 | –13.04 | 0 | –5 |
| | Animalist Party with the Environment (PACMA)$^2$ | 3,271 | 0.61 | –0.03 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Greens–Equo Asturias (V–Q) | 1,717 | 0.32 | –0.08 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) | 1,401 | 0.26 | +0.06 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Andecha Astur (Andecha) | 1,245 | 0.23 | –0.07 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Unite Principality (SMP) | 1,148 | 0.21 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | For a Fairer World (PUM+J) | 789 | 0.15 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | State of Spain Unionist Party (PUEDE) | 236 | 0.04 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| Blank ballots | Blank ballots | 9,523 | 1.77 | +0.67 | | |
| Total | Total | 537,023 | | | 45 | ±0 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 537,023 | 98.54 | –0.52 | | |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | 7,979 | 1.46 | +0.52 | | |
| Votes cast / turnout | Votes cast / turnout | 545,002 | 56.85 | +1.73 | | |
| Abstentions | Abstentions | 413,656 | 43.15 | –1.73 | | |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | 958,658 | | | | |
| Sources |||||||
| Footnotes: $^1$ Assembly for Asturias United Left–More Country–Asturian Left results are compared to United Left–Asturian Left: Asturias by the Left totals in the 2019 election.$^2$ Animalist Party with the Environment results are compared to Animalist Party Against Mistreatment of Animals totals in the 2019 election. |||||||
Popular vote
PSOE
36.50%
PP
32.61%
Vox
10.11%
IU–MP–IAS
7.59%
Podemos Ast.
3.92%
Foro
3.66%
SOS Asturias
1.09%
Others
2.75%
Blank ballots
1.77% :
Seats
PSOE
42.22%
PP
37.78%
Vox
8.89%
IU–MP–IAS
6.67%
Podemos Ast.
2.22%
Foro
2.22% :

### Distribution by constituency

| Constituency | PSOE | PSOE | PP | PP | Vox | Vox | CxAst | CxAst | Podemos | Podemos | Foro | Foro |
| Constituency | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S |
| Central | 36.2 | 13 | 32.0 | 12 | 10.7 | 4 | 8.2 | 3 | 4.3 | 1 | 3.2 | 1 |
| Eastern | 38.3 | 3 | 36.4 | 2 | 9.5 | − | 4.7 | − | 2.6 | − | 3.9 | − |
| Western | 37.0 | 3 | 35.0 | 3 | 6.5 | − | 5.4 | − | 1.7 | − | 6.7 | − |
| Total | 36.5 | 19 | 32.6 | 17 | 10.1 | 4 | 7.6 | 3 | 3.9 | 1 | 3.7 | 1 |
| Sources |||||||||||||

## Aftermath

Barbón was elected invested as President with majority in the first voting.
Investiture :
| Ballot → | Ballot → | 19 July 2023 | 19 July 2023 |
| Required majority → | Required majority → | 23 out of 45 | 23 out of 45 |
| | Adrián Barbón (PSOE) • PSOE (19) • IU–MP–IAS (3) • Podemos (1) | 23 / 45 | Y |
| | Abstentions • PP (17) • Vox (4) • Foro (1) | 22 / 45 | 22 / 45 |
| | Absentees | 0 / 45 | 0 / 45 |
| Sources ||||