In Spanish politics during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, El Turno Pacífico (English: The Peaceful Turn) was an informal system operated by the two major parties for determining in advance the result of a general election.
Under the turno, the incoming government would first be chosen by the king and would then "make" the election (the so-called encasillado or "pigeonholing"), ensuring victory.
The key to the system was the link between the minister of the interior, the provincial civil governors, and the local bosses (caciques).
It worked effectively until 1898, surviving the death of Alfonso XII in 1885,[2] but then became more difficult to operate because of divisions within the major parties and the growing mobilization of sectors of the electorate.
Despite being modelled on the United Kingdom, Spanish democracy lacked a responsiveness to popular opinion as (until about 1914) the outcome of elections was broadly decided in advance.