Senate (Cartadania)
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Senate of Cartadania | |
|---|---|
| 158th Cartadanian National Congress | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | Upper house of the Cartadanian National Congress |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
New session started | 2 December 2024 |
| Leadership | |
Erick Oliveira (SDP) since 17 January 2025 | |
Majority Leader | Aimar Hernandes (SDP) since 17 January 2025 |
Minority Leader | Nil Molinero (UCP) since 17 January 2025 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 114 58 (or 50 plus the Vice President) for a majority |
 | |
Political groups | Majority
SDP (62)
Minority UCP (37)
PRS (15) |
Length of term | 6 years |
| Authority | Article 4, Cartadanian Constitution |
| Elections | |
Last election | 1 October 2024 (38 seats) |
Next election | 6 October 2026 (38 seats) |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Senate Hall Cartadanian Capitol Alahuela Cartadania | |
| Website | |
| senado | |
The Senate of Cartadania (Cartadanian: Senado Cartadaniano) is the upper house of the Cartadanian National Congress. The Senate convenes, along with the House, at the Cartadanian Capitol in Alahuela. Together with the Chamber of Emissaries, the lower house, it forms the national bicameral legislature of Cartadania.
The Senate, as is the entire legislature of Cartadania, is defined in the fourth article of the Cartadanian Constitution. The Senate is composed of senators, each of whom represents a single federal entity in its entirety. Each state and territory is equally represented by three senators who serve staggered terms of six years. There are currently 114 senators representing the 31 states and seven territories. The power to add senators also rests within the fourth article of the constitution. Because the constitution does not mandate a maximum threshold for the Senate, but rather a minimum representation per entity when a new state or territory joins the union, that entity must elect three senators and the Senate floor shuffles to accommodate. The general structure of the Senate has remained roughly the same since its introduction in 1680 and its basic functions have not changed since that date.
The Vice President presides over the Senate of Cartadania. In the vice president's absence, the President pro Tempore presides, usually a powerful member of the majority party. The Senate is equal with the Chamber of Emissaries, the lower chamber of the legislature, except that taxation bills must originate in the House. Despite this, in the eyes of many Cartadanians, the Senate is seen as being the more powerful of the two, which is not completely untrue. Members of the Senate of Cartadania are elected every six years by the voters of the 38 federal entities on the first Tuesday in October. The last election took place in October 2024. There are no term limits currently in place for senators, though most commonly do not serve more than three terms.