Elections for Rectors

The Rector is the highest academic and representative authority of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, with a single, non-renewable six-year term.

The university community elects the Rector through direct election by universal, free, secret, and sector-weighted suffrage, in accordance with the provisions of Organic Law 2/2023, of March 22, on the University System (LOSU), the UAB Statutes 2025, and the UAB Electoral Regulations. Once the electoral process has concluded, the Government of the Generalitat de Catalunya is responsible for making the official appointment.

To be eligible for the position of Rector, candidates must be full-time, tenured doctoral teaching and research staff at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and fulfill all the requirements and accredited merits established by the regulations. Specifically, the candidate must accredit having obtained at least two research periods (sexennis), two evaluated teaching periods (quinquennis), and one university management period.

Election and Voting System

Votes are weighted according to the percentages corresponding to each sector of the university community in the Senate (Claustre).

The percentages that must be applied to make the weighted vote effective in the election for Rectorl are as follows:

• 51,5% permanent academic staff (sector A) 
• 6% non-permanent teaching and research staff, non-permanent research staff and adjunct teaching staff (sector B) 
• 27,7% Bachelor's and Master's degree students (sector C) 
• 14,8% technical, management and administrative and service staff (government and non-government employees) (sector D)

The election procedure is structured as follows:

• First round: The candidate who obtains more than half of the validly cast votes (absolute majority), after applying the corresponding weightings, is proclaimed Rector. If there is only one candidate and they do not reach the absolute majority of the validly cast votes in the first round, new elections must be called.
• Second round: If there is more than one candidate and none achieves an absolute majority in the first round, a second vote takes place in which only the two most-voted candidates compete. The candidate who obtains a simple majority of weighted votes is proclaimed Rector.

Applicable Regulations

• Organic Law 2/2023, of March 22, on the University System (LOSU) (Article 51)
• UAB Statutes 2025 (Title II, Chapter III: Articles 58 to 60)
• UAB Electoral Regulations (Title II)

Elections for Rectors have been held via the electronic voting system since 2020.