# 1982 Portuguese local elections

Local elections were held in Portugal on 12 December 1982. They were the third local elections in Portugal since the democratic revolution of 1974 introduced the concept of democratic local power.
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 automatically elected mayor, similar to first-past-the-post (FPTP), 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 points, 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 percent of the votes and achieving its best result ever with 20.7 percent 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. This decision led to a snap general election in April 1983.

## 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

Summary of the 12 December 1982 Municipal Councils elections results :
| Parties | Parties | Votes | % | ±pp swing | Candidacies | Councillors | Councillors | Mayors | Mayors |
| Parties | Parties | Votes | % | ±pp swing | Candidacies | Total | ± | Total | ± |
| | Socialist | 1,547,664 | 31.18 | 2.9 | | 619 | 103 | 83 | 23 |
| | United People Alliance | 1,038,033 | 20.91 | 1.0 | | 316 | 0 | 55 | 5 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 988,347 | 19.91 | 3.6 | | 322 | 104 | 49 | 24 |
| | Social Democratic | 745,048 | 15.01 | 1.3 | | 439 | 36 | 88 | 13 |
| | Democratic and Social Centre | 369,263 | 7.44 | 0.1 | | 185 | 29 | 27 | 7 |
| | People's Democratic Union | 31,567 | 0.64 | 0.6 | | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Socialist / UEDS | 31,251 | 0.63 | — | | 11 | — | 1 | — |
| | Portuguese Workers' Communist | 15,315 | 0.31 | 0.1 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | People's Monarchist | 11,149 | 0.22 | 0.1 | | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| | Workers Party of Socialist Unity | 5,684 | 0.11 | 0.1 | | 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 | 0.2 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total valid | Total valid | 4,785,586 | 96.40 | 1.2 | — | 1,909 | 9 | 305 | 0 |
| Blank ballots | Blank ballots | 87,381 | 1.76 | 0.8 | | | | | |
| Invalid ballots | Invalid ballots | 91,403 | 1.84 | 0.4 | | | | | |
| Total | Total | 4,964,370 | 100.00 | | | | | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 6,987,106 | 71.05 | 0.7 | | | | | |

#### 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 1981 Census.
| 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
#### National summary of votes and seats

Summary of the 12 December 1982 Municipal Assemblies elections results :
| Parties | Parties | Votes | % | ±pp swing | Candidacies | Mandates | Mandates |
| Parties | Parties | Votes | % | ±pp swing | Candidacies | Total | ± |
| | Socialist | 1,583,804 | 31.23 | 3.3 | | 3,182 | 496 |
| | United People Alliance | 1,070,247 | 21.10 | 0.6 | | 1,763 | 17 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 990,315 | 19.53 | 4.1 | | 1,625 | 497 |
| | Social Democratic | 717,131 | 14.14 | 2.6 | | 2,148 | 82 |
| | Democratic and Social Centre | 379,833 | 7.49 | 0.6 | | 1,003 | 171 |
| | People's Democratic Union | 35,128 | 0.70 | 0.6 | | 21 | 37 |
| | Socialist / UEDS | 31,481 | 0.63 | 0.6 | | 52 | — |
| | Democratic Union | 30,707 | 0.61 | — | | 40 | — |
| | People's Monarchist | 10,314 | 0.21 | 0.1 | | 28 | 2 |
| | Portuguese Workers' Communist | 7,120 | 0.14 | 0.1 | | 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 | 0.0 | | 2 | 2 |
| | OCMLP | 526 | 0.01 | — | | 0 | — |
| Total valid | Total valid | 4,865,027 | 95.93 | 1.4 | — | 9,897 | 194 |
| Blank ballots | Blank ballots | 115,352 | 2.27 | 1.0 | | | |
| Invalid ballots | Invalid ballots | 91,128 | 1.80 | 0.4 | | | |
| Total | Total | 5,071,507 | 100.00 | | | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 7,114,983 | 71.28 | 0.6 | | | |

### Parish Assemblies
#### National summary of votes and seats

Summary of the 12 December 1982 Parish Assemblies elections results :
| Parties | Parties | Votes | % | ±pp swing | Candidacies | Mandates | Mandates | Presidents | Presidents |
| Parties | Parties | Votes | % | ±pp swing | Candidacies | Total | ± | Total | ± |
| | Socialist | 1,527,322 | 31.03 | 3.2 | | 12,803 | 2,190 | | |
| | United People Alliance | 1,071,831 | 21.76 | 1.3 | | 4,997 | 265 | | |
| | Democratic Alliance | 905,696 | 18.40 | 4.4 | | 7,684 | 2,101 | | |
| | Social Democratic | 760,847 | 15.46 | 1.3 | | 9,499 | 52 | | |
| | Democratic and Social Centre | 381,150 | 7.74 | 0.7 | | 4,837 | 176 | | |
| | Independents | 65,865 | 1.34 | 0.2 | | 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 | 0.4 | | 30 | 25 | | |
| | People's Monarchist | 6,261 | 0.13 | 0.0 | | 99 | 21 | | |
| | Portuguese Workers' Communist | 5,023 | 0.10 | 0.0 | | 0 | 3 | | |
| | Independent Social Democratic Action | 2,768 | 0.06 | — | | 49 | — | | — |
| | Workers Party of Socialist Unity | 856 | 0.02 | 0.0 | | 0 | 1 | | |
| | Christian Democratic | 482 | 0.00 | 0.1 | | 0 | 26 | | |
| | OCMLP | 444 | 0.00 | — | | 0 | — | | — |
| Total valid | Total valid | 4,738,913 | 96.28 | 0.9 | — | 41,636 | — | | — |
| Blank ballots | Blank ballots | 87,935 | 1.79 | 0.5 | | | | | |
| Invalid ballots | Invalid ballots | 95,380 | 1.94 | 0.4 | | | | | |
| Total | Total | 4,922,228 | 100.00 | | | | | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 7,073,336 | 69.59 | 1.1 | | | | | |

### Maps

* The first and the second most voted parties in Municipal Councils in each district. (Azores and Madeira are not shown)
* The first and the second most voted parties in Municipal Assemblies in each district. (Azores and Madeira are not shown)
* The first and the second most voted parties in Parish Assemblies in each district. (Azores and Madeira are not shown)