1947 Venezuelan general election

General elections were held in Venezuela on 14 December 1947.^[1] They resulted in a decisive victory for Democratic Action (AD). The party's presidential candidate, Rómulo Gallegos received 74.3% of the vote,^[2] still the largest presidential win in Venezuela's modern history. AD also won supermajorities in both houses of Congress, with 83 of the 110 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 38 of the 46 seats in the Senate.

1947 Venezuelan general election

14 December 1947

Presidential election

← 1941 1958 →

Nominee Rómulo Gallegos Rafael Caldera Party Democratic Action Copei Popular vote 871,752 262,204 Percentage 74.35% 22.36%

President before election Rómulo Betancourt Democratic Action Elected President Rómulo Gallegos Democratic Action

These were the first national elections held in Venezuela since the 1945 coup. They were also the first free regular elections independence in 1830, as well as the first direct elections for president. In previous elections, the Congress of Venezuela had decided and voted on who would assume the presidency.

Results

President

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Rómulo Gallegos	Democratic Action	871,752	74.35
	Rafael Caldera	Copei	262,204	22.36
	Gustavo Machado Morales	Communist Party of Venezuela	38,587	3.29
Total			1,172,543	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			1,662,000	–
Source: Nohlen

Congress

In Mérida, the COPEI ran in alliance with the Republican Federal Union. In Tachira the URD ran in alliance with the Liberal Party of Tachira. In the Amazonas Federal Territory the URD ran in alliance with the Progressive Liberal Party.^[3]

Party		Votes	%	Seats
				Chamber	Senate
	Democratic Action	838,526	70.84	83	38
	Copei	200,695	16.95	16	4
	Democratic Republican Union	51,427	4.34	4	1
	Communist Party of Venezuela	43,190	3.65	3	1
	Republican Federal Union	39,491	3.34	3	2
	Revolutionary Party of the Proletariat (Communist)	7,068	0.60	0	0
	Liberal Party of Tachira	1,300	0.11	0	0
	Socialist Party of Venezuela	1,207	0.10	0	0
	Progressive Liberal Party	860	0.07	1	0
Total		1,183,764	100.00	110	46
Valid votes		1,183,764	98.74
Invalid/blank votes		15,105	1.26
Total votes		1,198,869	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		1,662,000	72.13
Source: Nohlen, Bunimov-Parra[4][5]

Chamber seat distribution by state

State/ Territory	AD	COPEI /UFR	URD PLP	PCV
Federal District	7	3	1	1
Anzoátegui	4		1
Apure	2
Aragua	3	1
Barinas	2
Bolívar	2
Carabobo	5	1
Cojedes	2
Falcón	5	1
Guárico	3
Lara	7	1		1
Mérida	2	3
Miranda	6	1
Monagas	3
Nueva Esparta	2		1
Portuguesa	2
Sucre	7		1
Táchira	2	4
Trujillo	5	2
Yaracuy	3	1
Zulia	8	1		1
Amazonas Federal Territory			1
Delta Amacuro Federal Territory	1
Source: CSE[6]

Senate seat distribution by state

Senate seat distribution by state

State/ Territory	AD	COPEI /UFR	URD	PCV
Federal District	2	1	1
Anzoátegui	2
Apure	2
Aragua	2
Barinas	2
Bolívar	2
Carabobo	2
Cojedes	2
Falcón	2
Guárico	2
Lara	2
Mérida		2
Miranda	2
Monagas	2
Nueva Esparta	2
Portuguesa	2
Sucre	2
Táchira		2
Trujillo	2	1
Yaracuy	2
Zulia	2			1
Amazonas Federal Territory
Delta Amacuro Federal Territory
Source: CSE[6]

State legislative assemblies

State	AD	COPEI /UFR	URD	PCV
Anzoátegui	13		1
Apure	11	1
Aragua	12	2
Barinas	9	3
Bolívar	11	1
Carabobo	14	2
Cojedes	10	1	1
Falcón	17	2
Guárico	13	1
Lara	18	2		1
Mérida	6	10
Miranda	15	2
Monagas	12		1
Nueva Esparta	8		4
Portuguesa	11	1
Sucre	18		2
Táchira	6	12
Trujillo	12	7
Yaracuy	12	1
Zulia	18	2		2
Source: CSE[6]

Municipal councils

State/ Territory	AD	COPEI	URD PLP	PCV
Federal District	14	6	1	1
Amazonas Federal Territory	2		3
Delta Amacuro Federal Territory	4		1
Source: CSE,[6] Arráiz Lucca[7]

References

1. Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume II, p555 ISBN 978-0-19-928358-3
2. Nohlen, p579
3. Rodolfo Quintero; Universidad Central de Venezuela (1972). Estudio de Caracas. Ediciones de la Biblioteca. p. 731.
4. Boris Bunimov-Parra (1968). Introducción a la sociología electoral venezolana. Editorial Arte. p. 74.
5. Rodolfo Quintero; Universidad Central de Venezuela (1973). Estudio de Caracas. Ediciones de la Biblioteca. p. 149.
6. Los Partidos políticos y sus estadísticas electorales, 1946-1984. Consejo Supremo Electoral, División de Estadística. 1987. pp. 43–44.
7. Rafael Arráiz Lucca (15 February 2016). El "trienio adeco" (1945-1948) y las conquistas de la ciudadanía. Editorial Alfa. ISBN 978-84-16687-12-1.