1947 Venezuelan general election

General elections were held in Venezuela on 14 December 1947.[1] The presidential elections were won by Rómulo Gallegos of Democratic Action, who received 74.3% of the vote,[2] the largest presidential win in Venezuela's modern history. His party won 83 of the 110 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 38 of the 46 seats in the Senate.

1947 Venezuelan presidential election

14 December 1947

Nominee Rómulo Gallegos Rafael Caldera Party Democratic Action COPEI Popular vote 871,752 262,204 Percentage 74.3% 22.4%

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

The election has been described as the first honest election in Venezuelan history. 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	74.3
Rafael Caldera	Copei	262,204	22.4
Gustavo Machado	Communist Party of Venezuela	38,587	3.3
Invalid/blank votes			–
Total		1,172,543	100
Source: Nohlen

Congress

Party	Votes	%	Seats
			Chamber	Senate
Democratic Action	838,526	70.8	83	38
Copei	200,695	17.0	16	4
Democratic Republican Union	51,427	4.3	4	1
Communist Party of Venezuela	43,190	3.6	3	1
Republican Federal Union	39,491	3.3	3	2
Revolutionary Party of the Proletariat (Communist)	7,068	0.6	0	0
Liberal Party of Tachira	1,300	0.1	0	0
Socialist Party of Venezuela	1,207	0.1	0	0
Progressive Liberal Party	860	0.1	1	0
Invalid/blank votes	15,105	–	–	–
Total	1,198,869	100	110	46
Source: Nohlen, Bunimov-Parra[3][4]

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.[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

[6]

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

[6]

Popular vote AD   70.84% COPEI   16.95% URD   4.34% PCV   3.65% PFR   3.34% Others   0.88%

Seats (Chamber) AD   75.45% COPEI   14.55% URD   3.64% PCV   2.73% PFR   2.73% Others   0.91%

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

[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

[6][7]

References

1. Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume II, p555 ISBN 978-0-19-928358-3
2. Nohlen, p579
3. Boris Bunimov-Parra (1968). Introducción a la sociología electoral venezolana. Editorial Arte. p. 74.
4. Rodolfo Quintero; Universidad Central de Venezuela (1973). Estudio de Caracas. Ediciones de la Biblioteca. p. 149.
5. Rodolfo Quintero; Universidad Central de Venezuela (1972). Estudio de Caracas. Ediciones de la Biblioteca. p. 731.
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.