The first time members were able to elect their president was in 1953, after the end of the Civil War and the Francoist assignment period. On that occasion, only men were allowed to vote (a total of 17,241), with Francesc Miró-Sans winning by a narrow margin of 301 votes.
After Miró-Sans' re-election in 1958, participation was restricted to delegates (compromissaris) during the next five elections, featuring presidents such as Enric Llaudet (1961 and 1965) and Agustí Montal i Costa (1969 and 1973). The crucial change arrived in 1978, when universal suffrage was established, allowing all members, men and women, to vote for the first time.
Since 1953, when the first elections were held, eight different winners have been chosen to lead the Fútbol Club Barcelona.
In those first universal elections in 1978, Josep Lluís Núñez won with 39 % of the votes, a victory he would repeat in 1989 and 1997. Following his resignation, the 21st century has seen five elections, with victories for Joan Gaspart (2000), Joan Laporta (2003 and 2021), Sandro Rosell (2010), and Josep Maria Bartomeu (2015).
