1982 Portuguese local elections

The Portuguese local elections of 1982 took place on 12 December. They were the third local elections in Portugal since the democratic revolution of 1974 introduced the concept of democratic local power.

1982 Portuguese local elections

← 1979 12 December 1982 1985 →

All 305 Portuguese municipalities and 4,260 Portuguese Parishes
All 1,909 local government councils
Turnout71.1% Decrease 0.6 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Dries van Agt en Francisco José Pereira Pinto Balsemão (1982) (cropped).jpg
Mário Soares 1975b (cropped).jpg
Alvaro Cunhal 1980 (cropped).jpg
Leader Francisco Pinto Balsemão Mário Soares Álvaro Cunhal
Party PSD PS PCP
Alliance AD APU
Last election 195 mayors, 47.5% 60 mayors, 28.3% 50 mayors, 19.9%
Popular vote 2,117,647[1] 1,578,915[2] 1,038,033
Percentage 42.7% 31.8% 20.9%
Swing Decrease 4.8 pp Increase 3.5 pp Increase 1.0 pp
Mayors 165[3] 84[4] 55
Mayors +/– Decrease 30 Increase 24 Increase 5
Councillors 953[5] 630[6] 316
Councillors +/– Decrease 110 Increase 114 Steady 0

The elections consisted of three separate elections in the 305 Portuguese municipalities that existed at the time, the election for the Municipal Chambers, whose winner is elected mayor, another election for the Municipal Assembly and a last one for the lower-level Parish Assembly, whose winner is elected parish president, this last was held separately in the more than 4,000 parishes around the country.

The Socialist Party finished once more on the top of the results table, increasing its share by 4%, however that was because the coalition between the two major right-wing parties, the Democratic and Social Center and the Social Democratic Party, the Democratic Alliance, did not participate in all Municipalities and Parishes, being the parties which composed it, separated in many Municipalities. This right wing coalition did, however, lose some voting in relation to the previous election.

The left-wing United People Alliance dominated the election in the municipalities of the South of the country, gathering more than 60% of the voting and achieving its best result ever with 20.7% and 55 mayors.

Despite the victory of the Democratic Alliance, the then PSD leader and Prime Minister Francisco Pinto Balsemão considered the results a disappointment, citting divisions with his own party and the alliance, and resigned from both posts.[7] This decision led to a snap general election in April 1983.

Parties edit

The main political forces involved in the election were:

Results edit

Municipal Councils edit

National summary of votes and seats edit

Summary of the 12 December 1982 Municipal Councils elections results
Parties Votes % Candidacies Councillors Mayors
Total ± Total ±
Socialist 1,547,664 31.18 619  103 83  23
United People Alliance 1,038,033 20.91 316  0 55  5
Democratic Alliance 988,347 19.91 322  104 49  24
Social Democratic 745,048 15.01 439  36 88  13
Democratic and Social Centre 369,263 7.44 185  29 27  7
People's Democratic Union 31,567 0.64 3  0 0  0
Socialist / UEDS 31,251 0.63 11 1
Portuguese Workers' Communist 15,315 0.31 0  0 0  0
People's Monarchist 11,149 0.22 5  1 1  0
Workers Party of Socialist Unity 5,684 0.11 0  0 0  0
Independent Social Democratic Action 4,236 0.09 7 1
Democratic Union 3,840 0.08 2 0
OCMLP 1,388 0.03 0 0
Christian Democratic 855 0.02 0  0 0  0
Total valid 4,785,586 96.40 1,909  9 305  0
Blank ballots 87,381 1.76
Invalid ballots 91,403 1.84
Total 4,964,370 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 6,987,106 71.05

Municipality map edit

 
Most voted parties or coalitions in each Municipality.
Municipalities won by:
- PS: 84
- APU: 55
- AD: 49
- PSD: 88
- CDS: 27
- PPM: 1
- ASDI: 1

City control edit

The following table lists party control in all district capitals, as well as in municipalities above 100,000 inhabitants. Population estimates from the 1981 Census.[8]

Municipality Population Previous control New control
Almada 147,690 United People Alliance (APU) United People Alliance (APU)
Amadora 163,878 United People Alliance (APU) United People Alliance (APU)
Aveiro 60,284 Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) Democratic and Social Centre (CDS)
Barcelos 103,773 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Beja 38,246 United People Alliance (APU) United People Alliance (APU)
Braga 125,472 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Bragança 35,380 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Democratic and Social Centre (CDS)
Cascais 141,498 Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Castelo Branco 54,908 Democratic Alliance (AD) Democratic Alliance (AD)
Coimbra 138,930 Democratic Alliance (AD) Socialist Party (PS)
Évora 51,572 United People Alliance (APU) United People Alliance (APU)
Faro 45,109 Democratic Alliance (AD) Democratic Alliance (AD)
Funchal 112,746 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Gondomar 130,751 Democratic Alliance (AD) Socialist Party (PS)
Guarda 40,360 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Guimarães 146,959 Democratic Alliance (AD) Socialist Party (PS)
Leiria 96,517 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Democratic and Social Centre (CDS)
Lisbon 807,937 Democratic Alliance (AD) Democratic Alliance (AD)
Loures 276,467 United People Alliance (APU) United People Alliance (APU)
Matosinhos 136,498 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Oeiras 149,328 Democratic Alliance (AD) Democratic Alliance (AD)
Ponta Delgada 63,804 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Portalegre 27,313 Democratic Alliance (AD) Socialist Party (PS)
Porto 327,368 Democratic Alliance (AD) Democratic Alliance (AD)
Santarém 62,896 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS)
Santa Maria da Feira 109,531 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Democratic Alliance (AD)
Setúbal 98,366 United People Alliance (APU) United People Alliance (APU)
Sintra 226,428 Democratic Alliance (AD) Democratic Alliance (AD)
Viana do Castelo 81,009 Democratic Alliance (AD) Democratic Alliance (AD)
Vila Nova de Famalicão 106,508 Democratic Alliance (AD) Socialist Party (PS)
Vila Nova de Gaia 226,331 Democratic Alliance (AD) Socialist Party (PS)
Vila Real 47,020 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Democratic Alliance (AD)
Viseu 83,261 Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) Social Democratic Party (PSD)

Municipal Assemblies edit

National summary of votes and seats edit

Summary of the 12 December 1982 Municipal Assemblies elections results
Parties Votes % Candidacies Mandates
Total ±
Socialist 1,583,804 31.23 3,182  496
United People Alliance 1,070,247 21.10 1,763  17
Democratic Alliance 990,315 19.53 1,625  497
Social Democratic 717,131 14.14 2,148  82
Democratic and Social Centre 379,833 7.49 1,003  171
People's Democratic Union 35,128 0.70 21  37
Socialist / UEDS 31,481 0.63 52
Democratic Union 30,707 0.61 40
People's Monarchist 10,314 0.21 28  2
Portuguese Workers' Communist 7,120 0.14 1  1
Independent Social Democratic Action 3,858 0.08 32
Workers Party of Socialist Unity 2,499 0.05 0
Christian Democratic 847 0.02 2  2
OCMLP 526 0.01 0
Total valid 4,865,027 95.93 9,897  194
Blank ballots 115,352 2.27
Invalid ballots 91,128 1.80
Total 5,071,507 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 7,114,983 71.28

Parish Assemblies edit

National summary of votes and seats edit

Summary of the 12 December 1982 Parish Assemblies elections results
Parties Votes % Candidacies Mandates Presidents
Total ± Total ±
Socialist 1,527,322 31.03 12,803  2,190
United People Alliance 1,071,831 21.76 4,997  265
Democratic Alliance 905,696 18.40 7,684  2,101
Social Democratic 760,847 15.46 9,499  52
Democratic and Social Centre 381,150 7.74 4,837  176
Independents 65,865 1.34 1,038  331
Democratic Union 29,284 0.59 342
Socialist / UEDS 25,265 0.51 258
People's Democratic Union 24,799 0.50 30  25
People's Monarchist 6,261 0.13 99  21
Portuguese Workers' Communist 5,023 0.10 0  3
Independent Social Democratic Action 2,768 0.06 49
Workers Party of Socialist Unity 856 0.02 0  1
Christian Democratic 482 0.00 0  26
OCMLP 444 0.00 0
Total valid 4,738,913 96.28 41,636
Blank ballots 87,935 1.79
Invalid ballots 95,380 1.94
Total 4,922,228 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 7,073,336 69.59

Maps edit

Notes edit

Further Notes:

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Sum of PSD, CDS, PPM, AD and UD votes.
  2. ^ Sum of PS and PS/UEDS votes.
  3. ^ Sum of PSD, AD, CDS and PPM elected mayors.
  4. ^ Sum of PS and PS/UEDS elected mayors.
  5. ^ Sum of PSD, CDS, PPM, AD and UD elected councillors.
  6. ^ Sum of PS and PS/UEDS elected councillors.
  7. ^ "Demissão Pinto Balsemão", RTP-Antena1, 8 September 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  8. ^ "Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Recenseamentos Gerais da População)". www.ine.pt (in Portuguese). Statistics Portugal. Retrieved 17 July 2021.

External links edit