View source for 2020 Aquitaynian general election

{{WIP}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name      = Aquitaynian general election, 2020
| country            = Aquitayne
| type               = Parliamentary
| ongoing            = no
| party_name         = no
| previous_election  = [[Aquitaynian general election, 2017]]
| previous_year      = [[Aquitaynian general election, 2017|2017]]
| previous_MPs       = 89th Magnatus Populi
| next_election      = [[2023 Aquitaynian general election]]
| next_year          = [[2023 Aquitaynian general election|2023]]
| seats_for_election = 786 in the [[House of Commons of Aquitayne|Commons]] (394 for a majority)
| election_date      = 8 December 2020
| elected_mps       = 
| opinion_polls = Opinion polling for the Aquitaynian general election, 2020
| turnout = 63.7% ({{decrease}}0.4%)

<!--Royalists--->
| image1             = [[File:Bernie-sanders-portrait-02.jpg|140px]]
| colour1            = 4169E1	
| leader1            = [[Richard Larrow]]
| leader_since1      = 8 December 2017
| party1             = [[Royalist Party (Aquitayne)|Royalists]]
| leaders_seat1      = 349th District
| last_election1     = 298 seats, 37.9%
| seats_before1 =
| seats1             =  '''308'''
| seat_change1       = {{increase}} 10<br>
| popular_vote1      = 36,201,546
| percentage1        = 39.18%
| swing1             = {{increase}} 1.28%

<!--PPA -->
| image2             = [[File:Landtag_Niedersachsen_DSCF7769.JPG|160x160px]]
| colour2            = E00715
| leader2            = [[Nikolas Renaldt]]
| leader_since2      = 5 January 2002
| party2             = [[People's Party (Aquitayne)|People's Party]]
| leaders_seat2      = 221st District
| last_election2     = 279, 35.49%
| seats_before2      =
| seats2             = 291
| seat_change2       = {{increase}} 12
| popular_vote2      = 33,952,850
| percentage2        = 37%
| swing2             = {{increase}} 1.51%

<!--     Republicans     -->
| image3 = [[File:Sebastian_Kurz_crop.jpg|160x160px]]
| colour3 = 070066
| leader3 = [[Simon Elswith]]
| leader_since3 = 24 January 2018
| party3 = [[Republican Party (Aquitayne)|Republican]]
| leaders_seat3  = 350th District
| last_election3 = 73, 9.28%
| seats3 = 85
| seat_change3 = {{increase}} 12
| popular_vote3 = 10,450,950
| percentage3 = 10.8%
| swing3 =  {{increase}} 1.52%

<!-- ISP-->
| image4             = [[File:Дмитрий_Медведев_(08-04-2022).jpg|160x160px]]
| colour4            = C0C0C0
| leader4            = [[Ethan Krosch]]
| leader_since4      = 16 February 2014
| party4             = [[Independent Socialist Party of Aquitayne|Independent Socialists]]
| leaders_seat4      = 81st District
| last_election4     = 74, 9.16%
| seats_before4      =
| seats4             = 57
| seat_change4       = {{decrease}} 17
| popular_vote4      = 6,312,510
| percentage4        = 7.25%
| swing4             = {{decrease}} 2.15%

<!-- NATION FIRST -->
| image5 = [[File:Eva_KAILI-_Citizens%E2%80%99_Corner_debate_on_fighting_against_corruption_in_EU_(15318842323)_(cropped).jpg|160x160px]]
| colour5 = 800000
| leader5 = [[Evelyn Varys]]
| leader_since5 = 12 June 2016
| party5 = [[Nation First]]
| leaders_seat5  = 759th District
| last_election5 = 31, 3.94%
| seats5 = 26
| seat_change5 = {{decrease}} 5
| popular_vote5 = 2,875,649
| percentage5 = 3.31%
| swing5 = {{decrease}} 0.63%

<!--     Environmentalists    -->
| image6 = [[File:Al_Gore_-_DOI.jpg|160x160px]]
| colour6 = 88E014
| leader6 = [[Jacob Carlisle]]
| leader_since6 = 5 January 2015
| party6 = [[Earth Coalition (Aquitayne)|Environmentalists]]
| leaders_seat6  = 101st District
| last_election6 = 31, 3.94%
| seats6 = 19
| seat_change6 = {{decrease}} 12
| popular_vote6 = 1,921,138
| percentage6 = 2.41%
| swing6 = {{decrease}} 1.52%

| map_image       = 2020_Election_Map.png
| map_size        = 330px
| map_caption     = Colors denote the winning party, as shown in the main table of results.
| title              = [[Prime Minister of Aquitayne|Prime Minister]]
| posttitle          =
| before_election    = [[Richard Larrow]]
| before_colour      = blue
| before_party       = Royalist Party
| after_election     = [[Richard Larrow]]
| after_colour       = blue
| after_party        = Royalist Party
}}
{{Politics of Aquitayne}}

The '''Aquitaynian general election of 2020''' took place on Friday 8 December. Each of the 786 constituencies elected one Member of Parliament (MP) to the [[House of Commons of Aquitayne|House of Commons]]. Under the guidelines set forth in the constitution, the election was held on time. 

The [[Royalist Party (Aquitayne)|Royalist Party]], which had governed as a senior coalition partner from 2014 was defending a working majority of 17 seats against the [[People's Party (Aquitayne)|People's Party]], the  {{wpl|His Majesty's Loyal Opposition|official opposition}} led by [[Kirk Macklin]]. The Royalist Party viewed the election as the best opportunity to secure its hold on a majority in parliament and continue its agenda into 2023. 

[[Opinion polling for the Aquitaynian general election, 2020|Opinion polls]] had shown consistent leads for the Royalist Party over the People's Party. The drastic turnaround from the typical two-party status quo in the [[Aquitaynian general election, 2017|2017 election]] saw much of the ground gained by the then-newly elected [[Nation First]] movement be regained by the Royalist and People's Party, respectively. Both major parties hailed the election as a great success, given they regained almost all of the seats they had lost in the previous election to non-instutitional newcomers. The Royalist Party regained a 39% majority in the House of Commons, only 4 points removed from their [[Aquitaynian General Election, 2014|2014 high]]. Likewise, the People's Party regained twelve constituencies to close the gap to only 7 lost seats on aggregate from the 2014 election. The now-established Nation First party saw a net loss of 5 constituencies, who largely returned to their typical People's Party candidates after a lackluster legistlative term that saw little progress on the party's controversial base. The Republicans also came away with a net-positive result, regaining 12 seats and now holding a record-high 85 seats in the House. The Independent Socialists and Environmentalists who form the bulk of the [[Unified Parties Coalition]], saw the largest combined loss of seats collectively losing 29 constituencies.

==Electoral system==
Each parliamentary constituency of Aquitayne elects one MP to the House of Commons using the {{wpl|single transferable vote|STV}} system. If one party obtains a majority of seats, then that party is entitled to form the Government, with its leader as [[Prime Minister of Aquitayne|Prime Minister]]. If the election results in no single party having a majority, then there is a {{wpl|hung parliament}}. In this case, the options for forming the Government are either a {{wpl|minority government}} or a {{wpl|coalition government|coalition}}. 

===Voting eligibility===
To vote in the general election, one had to be:
* a registered voter;
* aged 18 or over on polling day;
* be an Aquitaynian citizen with single or dual citizenship;
* a resident at an address in Aquitayne or an Aquitaynian territory, or an Aquitaynian citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in Aquitayne within the past 15 years ''and'';
* not legally excluded from voting (felony convictions may carry a sentence of revocation of the right to vote for some convicted criminals, for example, or any criminals at large)

Individuals had to be registered to vote by midnight 14 days before voting day (8 December). A person who has two homes (such as a university student with a term-time address and lives at home during holidays) may be registered to vote at both addresses, provided they are in separate districts, and can only vote in one constituency per election.

In the lead-up to this election, it was estimated that over 2 million Aquitaynians between 18 and 35 registered to vote before the deadline, and over 200,000 were under the age of 22.

==Date and cost of election==
===Timetable===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|16 June
|Prime Minister [[Richard Larrow]] formally announces election date
|-
|19 June
|MPs voted to dissolve Parliament
|-
|23 June
|Royal Proclamation under Article II of the Constitution issued to formally dissolve parliament
|-
|23 June
|Royal proclamation was issued summoning a new Parliament
|-
|24 July
|Deadline (5pm) for the delivery of candidate nomination papers 
|-
|24 July
|Deadline (7pm) for the publication of the Statement of Nominated Persons 
|-
|1 August
|Earliest date where polling officers could issue polling cards to voting locations
|-
|1 September
|Party primaries are held if more than one candidate for a single party files candidacy papers within the deadline in the same district as another candidate
|-
|20 September
|Advertising gag closes
|-
|15 November
|Deadline for proxy votes to be submitted in the mail (verified by postal stamp)
|-
|24 November
|Deadline (5pm) for the public to register to vote 
|-
|8 December
|'''Voting day''' (polling stations opened at 8am and closed at 9pm or once voters present in a queue at or outside the polling station at 9pm had cast their vote). Counting of votes started no later than 2am on 9 December.
|-
|18 December
|Parliament re-assembled
|-
|25 December
|State Opening of Parliament
|}

===Cost===
The cost to the taxpayer of organizing the election was $175 million NSD - slightly more than the previous election in 2014, which cost taxpayers $160 million NSD.

==Parties and candidates==
Unlike in other countries throughout the world, independent candidates are not authorized to run for parliament. They may, however, run in local elections. This guideline is due to the [[Parliamentary Standardization Act of 1894]], which states that any candidate running for office in parliament must be registered with a traditional political party. Such a party can be registered with the government after 5,000 membership signatures are collected, a party head elected from the signers, and a party office established. 

The leader of the party commanding a majority of support in the House of Commons is the person who is called on by the monarch to form a government as Prime Minister, while the leader of the largest party not in government becomes the Leader of the Opposition. Other parties also form shadow ministerial teams, which follow the current Prime Minister and create policy decisions based on the party's values.

The [[Royalist Party (Aquitayne)|Royalist Party]] and the [[People's Party (Aquitayne)|People's Party]] have been the two biggest parties since the creation of the modern state of Aquitayne in 1741, and have supplied all Prime Ministers since 1936. The Royalist Party maintained their leader from the 2017 election during the [[May Royalist Convention (2020)]], where the current Prime Minister, [[Richard Larrow]], announced and secured his place as the head of the party for the upcoming election cycle. The People's Party also maintained their leader after the disappointing results of the 2017 election, [[Nikolas Renaldt]]. The leadership of the Environmentalist coalition remained in tact, and the leadership of the Republicans also maintained its previous figurehead just before the election, [[Simon Elswith]]. [[Nation First]] also maintained its place as a legitimate force in parliament for the next three years, despite losing half of their constituencies after a lackluster legislative session many experts attributed to their newfound and somewhat unexpectedly large role in government. Some of the smaller registered parties chose not to seriously run any candidates during this cycle, as they focused on local elections in 2021. 

===Candidates===
4,205 candidates stood for election, up from 4,102 in the previous general election in 2017. The Royalist Party held candidates in 762 districts, the People's Party in 769, the Republicans in 475 districts (down from 489). The ISP ran in 575 (up from 523), and the Environmentalists in 410 districts (up from 392). Nation First had 305 registered candidates in this election cycle, a significant decline from their initial base of 482 candidates. There were a total of 782 contested districts during the election, with only four districts reporting a single candidate or only multiple candidates from the same party running. 

===Party selection process===
As is typical of general election cycles, the national franchise of each political party will create a selection process for finding potential candidates to run that align well with the party platform and who have an excellent chance of winning a seat in parliament. 

The Royalist Party opted to have local affiliate branches be tasked with finding members of their community whom they believed would stand the best chance of winning an election and who also would represent the party values. The national branch was responsible for handling vetting and receiving of candidate profiles, but the Royalist Party has kept its grassroots method for finding candidates since the early 1950's. Standing members of parliament who wished to run again were given preference over any potential candidate running against them under the Royalist Party name, which often lead to primaries being held locally to determine who stood a better chance of beating a contender. In the 2019 Royalist Party primaries, only 21 incumbent candidates lost the primary to a newcomer. 

The People's Party, after the dissolution of parliament, immediately required sitting MPs to state their intention to stand, and automatically re-selected those that wanted to run again. The party then advertised for party members to reach out and announce interest a few weeks before the filing deadline to ensure background checks and vetting could be completed. 

Nation First almost selectively chose candidates who had attended the Second Nation First Congress in June of 2018, and pre-selected those members who chose to run. Otherwise, it allowed local offices to reach out to potential candidates and allow the national office to conduct vetting procedures. Nation First took advantage of discontent in rural and urban areas where jobs had been lost to seize on weak showings by the Royalists and People's Party candidates.


==Results==

After all 786 constituencies had been declared, the results were:

{| style="width:100%; text-align:center;"
|- style="color:white;"
| style="background:#4169E1; width:37.9%;" | '''308'''
| style="background:#88E014; width:3.9%;" | <small>'''19'''</small>
| style="background:#800000; width:3.9%;" | <small>'''26'''</small>
| style="background:#C0C0C0; color:black; width:9.4%;" | '''57'''
| style="background:#070066; width:9.3%;" | <small>'''85'''</small>
| style="background:#E00715; width:35.5%;" | '''291'''
|-
| {{color|#4169E1|'''Royalist'''}}
| {{color|#88E014|<small>'''E<br>N'''</small>}}<!-- The bar does not show properly on smaller displays if we don't have the letters going vertically because the name takes up more space than the party actually won seats -->
| {{color|#800000|<small>'''N<br>F'''</small>}}<!-- The bar does not show properly on smaller displays if we don't have the letters going vertically because the name takes up more space than the party actually won seats -->
| {{color|#C0C0C0|<small>'''I<br>S<br>P'''</small>}}<!-- The bar does not show properly on smaller displays if we don't have the letters going vertically because the name takes up more space than the party actually won seats -->
| {{color|#070066|<small>'''R<br>E'''</small>}}<!-- The bar does not show properly on smaller displays if we don't have the letters going vertically because the name takes up more space than the party actually won seats -->
| {{color|#E00715|'''People's Party'''}}
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:centre;"
|-
! colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Party
!           rowspan=2 | Leader
! colspan=4           | MPs
! colspan=4           | Votes
|-
!
! Of total
! class="unsortable" |
! ±
!
! Of total
! class="unsortable" |
! ±
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Royalist Party (Aquitayne)|Royalist Party]]
| style="background:#4169E1;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | <small>[[Richard Larrow]]</small>
| style="text-align:right;" | 308
| style="text-align:right;" | {{Percentage|308|786|1|pad=yes}}
| data-sort-value="" | {{Infobox political party/seats|308|786|hex=#4169E1}}
| style="text-align:right;" | {{increase}}10
| style="text-align:right;" | 36,201,546 
| style="text-align:right;" | 39.47%
| {{percentage bar|37.9||c=#4169E1|border-color=#c0c0c0|background-color=#f0f0f0}}
| style="text-align:right;" | {{increase}}1.57%
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[People's Party (Aquitayne)|People's Party]]
| style="background:#E00715;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | <small>[[Nikolas Renaldt]]</small>
| style="text-align:right;" | 291
| style="text-align:right;" | {{Percentage|291|786|1|pad=yes}}
| data-sort-value="" | {{Infobox political party/seats|291|786|hex=#E00715}}
| style="text-align:right;" | {{increase}}12
| style="text-align:right;" | 33,664,727
| style="text-align:right;" | 37% 35.49%
| {{percentage bar|35.49||c=#E00715|border-color=#c0c0c0|background-color=#f0f0f0}}
| style="text-align:right;" | {{increase}}1.51%
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Republican Party (Aquitayne)|Republicans]]
| style="background:#070066;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | <small>[[Simon Elswith]]</small>
| style="text-align:right;" | 85
| style="text-align:right;" | {{Percentage|85|786|1|pad=yes}}
| data-sort-value="" | {{Infobox political party/seats|85|786|hex=#070066}}
| style="text-align:right;" | {{increase}}12
| style="text-align:right;" | 10,450,950 
| style="text-align:right;" | 11.39% 
| {{percentage bar|9.28||c=#070066|border-color=#c0c0c0|background-color=#f0f0f0}}
| style="text-align:right;" | {{increase}}2.12%
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Independent Socialist Party of Aquitayne|ISP]]
| style="background:#C0C0C0;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | <small>[[Ethan Krosch]]</small>
| style="text-align:right;" | 57
| style="text-align:right;" | {{Percentage|57|786|1|pad=yes}}
| data-sort-value="" | {{Infobox political party/seats|57|786|hex=#C0C0C0}}
| style="text-align:right;" | {{decrease}}17
| style="text-align:right;" | 6,312,510 
| style="text-align:right;" | 6.88% 
| {{percentage bar|9.4||c=#C0C0C0|border-color=#c0c0c0|background-color=#f0f0f0}}
| style="text-align:right;" | {{decrease}}2.51%
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Nation First]]
| style="background:#800000;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | <small>[[Evelyn Varys]]</small>
| style="text-align:right;" | 26
| style="text-align:right;" | {{Percentage|26|786|1|pad=yes}}
| data-sort-value="" | {{Infobox political party/seats|26|786|hex=#800000}}
| style="text-align:right;" | {{decrease}}5
| style="text-align:right;" | 2,875,649 
| style="text-align:right;" | 3.13% 
| {{percentage bar|3.94||c=#800000|border-color=#c0c0c0|background-color=#f0f0f0}}
| style="text-align:right;" | {{decrease}}0.80%
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Earth Coalition (Aquitayne)|Environmentalists]]
| style="background:#88E014;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | <small>[[Jacob Carlisle]]</small>
| style="text-align:right;" | 19
| style="text-align:right;" | {{Percentage|19|786|1|pad=yes}}
| data-sort-value="" | {{Infobox political party/seats|19|786|hex=#88E014}}
| style="text-align:right;" | {{decrease}}12
| style="text-align:right;" | 1,921,138 
| style="text-align:right;" | 2.09% 
| {{percentage bar|3.94||c=#88E014|border-color=#c0c0c0|background-color=#f0f0f0}}
| style="text-align:right;" | {{decrease}}1.84%
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Christian Rights Party
| style="background:" |
| style="text-align:left;" | <small>Jessica Albright</small>
| style="text-align:right;" |0
| style="text-align:right;" | {{Percentage|0|786|1|pad=yes}}
| data-sort-value="" | {{Infobox political party/seats|0|786|}}
| style="text-align:right;" | {{steady}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 30,813
| style="text-align:right;" | 0.0%
| {{percentage bar|0.6||c=|border-color=#c0c0c0|background-color=#f0f0f0}}
| style="text-align:right;" | ''N/A''
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Abolish the Monarchy Party
| style="background:" |
| style="text-align:left;" | <small>Thomas Cooper</small>
| style="text-align:right;" |0
| style="text-align:right;" | {{Percentage|0|786|1|pad=yes}}
| data-sort-value="" | {{Infobox political party/seats|0|786|}}
| style="text-align:right;" | {{steady}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 175,548
| style="text-align:right;" | 0.17%
| {{percentage bar|0.17||c=|border-color=#c0c0c0|background-color=#f0f0f0}}
| style="text-align:right;" | ''N/A''
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Constitutional Reform Party
| style="background:" |
| style="text-align:left;" |<small>Harris Ewing</small>
| style="text-align:right;" |0
| style="text-align:right;" | {{Percentage|0|786|1|pad=yes}}
| data-sort-value="" | {{Infobox political party/seats|0|786|}}
| style="text-align:right;" | {{steady}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 76,315
| style="text-align:right;" | 0.9%
| {{percentage bar|0.9||c=|border-color=#c0c0c0|background-color=#f0f0f0}}
| style="text-align:right;" | ''N/A''
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Others
| style="background:" |
| style="text-align:left;" |''N/A''
| style="text-align:right;" |0
| style="text-align:right;" | {{Percentage|0|786|1|pad=yes}}
| data-sort-value="" | {{Infobox political party/seats|0|786|}}
| style="text-align:right;" | {{steady}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 5,447
| style="text-align:right;" | 0.0%
| {{percentage bar|0.6||c=|border-color=#c0c0c0|background-color=#f0f0f0}}
| style="text-align:right;" | ''N/A''
|-
| colspan="3" |'''Total'''
|style="text-align:right;" | 786
|style="text-align:right;" | 100%
|
|
|style="text-align:right;" | 91,714,643
|
|
|
|}
[[Category: Aquitayne]][[Category:Elections]][[Category:Elections in Aquitayne]][[Category:Astyria]][[Category:Politics of Aquitayne]][[Category:Politics of Astyria]]