The Election Board and election debates: from bipartism to parliamentary fragmentation

Abstract

Electoral debates are one of the main aspects of political communication throughout the electoral campaign process. The situation in Spain since the first elections calls has undergone many changes, not only from the political aspect, but also in its implementation and advertising. From the first televised, face-to-face electoral debates, due to the marked bipartisanship, until the split of the party system in 2015. Therefore, these debates undergo an important change towards another type of “four-way” debate. This transformation implied a more active participation of the Electoral Board, to resolve the situations that arose as a result of a new political scenario that not only worked a different form of political communication, but also implied strategic and organizational changes. Therefore, we will try to show if the change in the general dynamics of the electoral debates supposes a greater interest for the voters, and through what means and strategies it is launched.