Article 66 of the Spanish Constitution reads:

" 1. The Cortes Generales represent the Spanish people and
consist of the Congress of Deputies and the Senate.
 
  2. The Cortes Generales exercise the legislative power of the
State, approve its Budgets, control Government action and all the
other powers vested in them by the Constitution.
 
  3. The Cortes Generales are inviolable."

Title III of the Constitution, which comprises articles 66 to 80 inclusive, refers solely to the Cortes Generales, which is the constitutional term covering both the Congress of Deputies and the Senate. In the course of fifteen articles, a detailed account is given of the structure of the legislative power, that mainstay of the democratic State, together with the executive and the judiciary.

Very concisely stated, the Cortes may be said to exemplify a bicameral system. Legislative activity rests with them, although not exclusively so. The electoral distric for Congress and Senate is the province. Both Chambers have a duration not exceeding four years. The deputies are elected by universal, free, equal, direct and secret suffrage; the senators are elected by the same process, except that in addition one senator is appointed by each self-governing community (Autonomous Community).

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GENERAL ELECTIONS FOR PREVIOUS CONSTITUENT CORTES:
 
June 15th, 1977
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NEW LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS AFTER THE CONSTITUTION:
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1. March 1st, 1979
2. October 28th, 1982
3. June 22nd, 1986
4. October 29th, 1989
5. June 6th, 1993
6. March 3rd, 1996
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