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1979 Portuguese local elections
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| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| election_name | 1979 Portuguese local elections |
| country | Portugal |
| type | parliamentary |
| previous_election | 1976 Portuguese local elections |
| previous_year | 1976 |
| next_election | 1982 Portuguese local elections |
| next_year | 1982 |
| seats_for_election | All 305 Portuguese municipalities and 4,260 Portuguese Parishes |
| All 1,900 local government councils | |
| election_date | 16 December 1979 |
| turnout | 71.7% 7.0 pp |
| 1blank | Mayors |
| 2blank | Mayors +/– |
| 3blank | Councillors |
| 4blank | Councillors +/– |
| image1 | |
| colour1 | 2A52BE |
| leader1 | Francisco Sá Carneiro |
| party1 | PSD |
| alliance1 | AD |
| last_election1 | 152 mayors, 41.1% |
| popular_vote1 | 2,109,072 |
| percentage1 | 47.5% |
| swing1 | 6.4 pp |
| 1data1 | 195 |
| 2data1 | 43 |
| 3data1 | 1,063 |
| 4data1 | 119 |
| image2 | |
| leader2 | Mário Soares |
| party2 | Socialist Party (Portugal) |
| last_election2 | 115 mayors, 33.0% |
| popular_vote2 | 1,258,966 |
| percentage2 | 28.3% |
| swing2 | 4.7 pp |
| 1data2 | 60 |
| 2data2 | 55 |
| 3data2 | 516 |
| 4data2 | 175 |
| image3 | |
| colour3 | FF0000 |
| leader3 | Álvaro Cunhal |
| party3 | PCP |
| alliance3 | APU |
| last_election3 | 37 mayors, 17.3% |
| popular_vote3 | 885,899 |
| percentage3 | 19.9% |
| swing3 | 2.6 pp |
| 1data3 | 50 |
| 2data3 | 13 |
| 3data3 | 316 |
| 4data3 | 48 |
All 1,900 local government councils
Local elections were held in Portugal on 16 December 1979. They were the 2nd local elections in Portugal since the democratic revolution of 1974 introduced the concept of democratic local power. The elections took place just two weeks after the 1979 legislative election.
The elections consisted of three separate elections in the 305 Portuguese municipalities, the election for the Municipal Chambers, 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 on the top of the results table, 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 participated in all Municipalities and Parishes, being the parties which composed it, separated in many Municipalities
The left-wing United People Alliance dominated the election in the municipalities of the South of the country, gathering more than 60 percent of the votes.
Turnout in these elections increased compared with the 1976 election, as 71.7 percent of the electorate cast a ballot, the highest turnout recorded in a nationwide local election.
Electoral system
All 305 municipalities are allocated a certain number of councilors to elect corresponding to the number of registered voters in a given municipality. Each party or coalition must present a list of candidates. The winner of the most voted list for the municipal council is automatically elected mayor, similar to first-past-the-post (FPTP). The lists are closed and the seats in each municipality are apportioned according to the D'Hondt method.
Parties
The main political forces involved in the election were:
- Democratic Alliance (AD) (only in some municipalities)
- Democratic and Social Center (CDS) (only in some municipalities)
- Socialist Party (PS)
- Social Democratic Party (PSD) (only in some municipalities)
- United People Alliance (APU)
Results
Municipal Councils
National summary of votes and seats
|- ! rowspan="2" colspan=2 style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left|Parties ! rowspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes ! rowspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|% ! rowspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|±pp swing ! rowspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Candidacies ! colspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Councillors ! colspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Mayors |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9" ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Total ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|± ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Total ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|± |- |
| - |
|---|
| |- | |- |
| - |
|---|
| |- | |- | |- | |- |
| - |
|---|
| 44,693 |
| - |
| 63,679 |
| - |
| - |
| - |
| } |
Municipality map
City control
The following table lists party control in all district capitals, highlighted in bold, as well as in municipalities above 100,000 inhabitants. Population estimates from the 1970 Census.
| Municipality | Population | Previous control | New control | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almada | 107,575 | Unitary Democratic Coalition}}" | United People Alliance (APU) | |
| Amadora | 111,929 | Municipality created | Unitary Democratic Coalition}}" | |
| Aveiro | 49,808 | CDS – People's Party}}" | Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) | |
| Beja | 36,384 | Unitary Democratic Coalition}}" | United People Alliance (APU) | |
| Braga | 96,918 | Socialist Party (Portugal)}}" | Socialist Party (PS) | |
| Bragança | 33,070 | Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}" | Social Democratic Party (PSD) | |
| Cascais | 92,907 | Socialist Party (Portugal)}}" | Socialist Party (PS) | |
| Castelo Branco | 55,195 | Socialist Party (Portugal)}}" | Socialist Party (PS) | |
| Coimbra | 110,553 | Socialist Party (Portugal)}}" | Socialist Party (PS) | |
| Évora | 47,244 | Unitary Democratic Coalition}}" | United People Alliance (APU) | |
| Faro | 30,973 | Socialist Party (Portugal)}}" | Socialist Party (PS) | |
| Funchal | 101,810 | Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}" | Social Democratic Party (PSD) | |
| Gondomar | 105,075 | Socialist Party (Portugal)}}" | Socialist Party (PS) | |
| Guarda | 39,741 | Socialist Party (Portugal)}}" | Socialist Party (PS) | |
| Guimarães | 122,719 | Socialist Party (Portugal)}}" | Socialist Party (PS) | |
| Leiria | 80,241 | Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}" | Social Democratic Party (PSD) | |
| Lisbon | 769,044 | Socialist Party (Portugal)}}" | Socialist Party (PS) | |
| Loures | 166,167 | Socialist Party (Portugal)}}" | Socialist Party (PS) | |
| Matosinhos | 109,225 | Socialist Party (Portugal)}}" | Socialist Party (PS) | |
| Oeiras | 180,194 | Socialist Party (Portugal)}}" | Socialist Party (PS) | |
| Ponta Delgada | 67,975 | Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}" | Social Democratic Party (PSD) | |
| Portalegre | 25,800 | Socialist Party (Portugal)}}" | Socialist Party (PS) | |
| Porto | 301,655 | Socialist Party (Portugal)}}" | Socialist Party (PS) | |
| Santarém | 56,440 | Socialist Party (Portugal)}}" | Socialist Party (PS) | |
| Setúbal | 65,230 | Socialist Party (Portugal)}}" | Socialist Party (PS) | |
| Sintra | 124,893 | Socialist Party (Portugal)}}" | Socialist Party (PS) | |
| Viana do Castelo | 70,455 | Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}" | Social Democratic Party (PSD) | |
| Vila Nova de Gaia | 180,875 | Socialist Party (Portugal)}}" | Socialist Party (PS) | |
| Vila Real | 44,550 | Social Democratic Party (Portugal)}}" | Social Democratic Party (PSD) | |
| Viseu | 73,010 | CDS – People's Party}}" | Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) |
Municipal Assemblies
National summary of votes and seats
|- ! rowspan="2" colspan=2 style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left|Parties ! rowspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes ! rowspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|% ! rowspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|±pp swing ! rowspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Candidacies ! colspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Mandates |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9" ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Total ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|± |- |
| - |
|---|
| |- | |- |
| - |
|---|
| |- | |- | |- |
| - |
|---|
| 59,564 |
| - |
| 62,241 |
| - |
| - |
| - |
| } |
Parish Assemblies
National summary of votes and seats
|- ! rowspan="2" colspan=2 style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left|Parties ! rowspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes ! rowspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|% ! rowspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|±pp swing ! rowspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Candidacies ! colspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Mandates ! colspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Presidents |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9" ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Total ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|± ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Total ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|± |- |
| - |
|---|
| |- | |- |
| - |
|---|
| - |
| |- | |- | |- | |- |
| - |
|---|
| 54,704 |
| - |
| 68,502 |
| - |
| - |
| - |
| } |
Maps
File:Pt ploelection tc1979.PNG|The first and the second most voted parties in Municipal Councils in each district. (Azores and Madeira are not shown) File:Pt ploelection tc1979.PNG|The first and the second most voted parties in Municipal Assemblies in each district. (Azores and Madeira are not shown) File:Pt ploelection tc1979.PNG|The first and the second most voted parties in Parish Assemblies in each district. (Azores and Madeira are not shown)
Notes
- The source of the voting data is the Portuguese Electoral Commission
Further Notes:
- Democratic Alliance (AD) was composed by the Democratic Social Center (CDS), the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the People's Monarchist Party (PPM).
- Although the PSD, the CDS and the PPM were united in the Democratic Alliance, they appear in the scorecard because they ran separated in several municipalities.
- United People Alliance (APU) was composed by the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) and the Portuguese Democratic Movement (MDP/CDE).
- The number of candidacies expresses the number of municipalities or parishes in which the party or coalition presented lists.
- The number of mandates expresses the number of municipal deputies in the Municipal Assembly election and the number of parish deputies in the Parish Assembly election.
- The turnout varies because one may choose not to vote for all the organs.
References
References
- Sum of PSD, AD, CDS and PPM votes.
- Sum of PSD, AD, CDS and PPM elected mayors.
- Sum of PSD, AD, CDS and PPM elected councillors.
- [https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/lei-organica/2001-34526875 Eleição dos titulares dos órgãos das autarquias locais]. ''[[Diário da República]]'' (in Portuguese.) Retrieved 17 July 2025.
- "Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Recenseamentos Gerais da População)". [[Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Portugal).
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
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