escaños

Es caño is a noun in Spanish that refers to a seat or chair in a legislative chamber and, more broadly, to the office or position held by an elected representative. The term covers both the physical seat in a parliament or congress and the metaphorical entitlement to serve as a member.

In parliamentary use, un escaño refers to a specific seat in a chamber. The total number of escaños in a parliament determines its size and the balance of power. After elections, escaños are allocated to parties according to electoral rules and vote shares; this distribution shapes which parties can form a government or act as opposition. The phrases ganar un escaño and perder un escaño describe obtaining or losing a seat, by election results or personal changes.

Procedures regarding vacancies vary: when a deputy resigns, leaves office, or dies, a suplente (substitute) typically fills the escaño, following national rules. In some systems, vacancies are filled by the next person on the party's list; in others, by a by-election or another mechanism.

In practice, escaño is central to discussions of parliamentary composition, government formation, and party strategy, and it is common in media coverage and scholarly analysis of legislative bodies in Spanish-speaking countries.