# 1979 Portuguese local elections

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, 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 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.

## 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 16 December 1979 Municipal Councils elections results :
| Parties | Parties | Votes | % | ±pp swing | Candidacies | Councillors | Councillors | Mayors | Mayors |
| Parties | Parties | Votes | % | ±pp swing | Candidacies | Total | ± | Total | ± |
| | Socialist | 1,258,966 | 28.33 | 4.7 | 297 | 516 | 175 | 60 | 55 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 1,044,642 | 23.51 | — | 138 | 426 | — | 73 | — |
| | United People Alliance | 885,899 | 19.94 | 2.6 | 295 | 316 | 48 | 50 | 13 |
| | Social Democratic | 723,953 | 16.29 | 8.0 | 156 | 475 | 149 | 101 | 14 |
| | Democratic and Social Centre | 334,258 | 7.52 | 9.1 | 102 | 156 | 161 | 20 | 16 |
| | People's Democratic Union | 53,076 | 1.19 | — | 95 | 3 | — | 0 | — |
| | Portuguese Workers' Communist | 19,508 | 0.44 | 0.2 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Christian Democratic | 6,631 | 0.15 | — | 9 | 2 | — | 0 | — |
| | People's Monarchist | 6,219 | 0.14 | 0.1 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| | UEDS | 1,882 | 0.04 | — | 7 | 0 | — | 0 | — |
| | Workers Party of Socialist Unity | 273 | 0.01 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | — |
| Total valid | Total valid | 4,271,897 | 97.56 | 1.8 | — | 1,900 | 8 | 305 | 1 |
| Blank ballots | Blank ballots | 44,693 | 1.01 | 1.1 | | | | | |
| Invalid ballots | Invalid ballots | 63,679 | 1.43 | 0.7 | | | | | |
| Total | Total | 4,380,269 | 100.00 | | | | | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 6,105,651 | 71.74 | 7.1 | | | | | |
| $^A$ In 1976, as Electoral Front United People. ||||||||||

#### 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 | Previous control | New control |
| Almada | 107,575 | | United People Alliance (APU) | United People Alliance (APU) |
| Amadora | 111,929 | Municipality created | Municipality created | United People Alliance (APU) |
| Aveiro | 49,808 | | Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) | Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) |
| Beja | 36,384 | | United People Alliance (APU) | United People Alliance (APU) |
| Braga | 96,918 | | Socialist Party (PS) | Socialist Party (PS) |
| Bragança | 33,070 | | Social Democratic Party (PSD) | Social Democratic Party (PSD) |
| Cascais | 92,907 | | Socialist Party (PS) | Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) |
| Castelo Branco | 55,195 | | Socialist Party (PS) | Democratic Alliance (AD) |
| Coimbra | 110,553 | | Socialist Party (PS) | Democratic Alliance (AD) |
| Évora | 47,244 | | United People Alliance (APU) | United People Alliance (APU) |
| Faro | 30,973 | | Socialist Party (PS) | Democratic Alliance (AD) |
| Funchal | 101,810 | | Social Democratic Party (PSD) | Social Democratic Party (PSD) |
| Gondomar | 105,075 | | Socialist Party (PS) | Democratic Alliance (AD) |
| Guarda | 39,741 | | Socialist Party (PS) | Socialist Party (PS) |
| Guimarães | 122,719 | | Socialist Party (PS) | Democratic Alliance (AD) |
| Leiria | 80,241 | | Social Democratic Party (PSD) | Social Democratic Party (PSD) |
| Lisbon | 769,044 | | Socialist Party (PS) | Democratic Alliance (AD) |
| Loures | 166,167 | | Socialist Party (PS) | United People Alliance (APU) |
| Matosinhos | 109,225 | | Socialist Party (PS) | Socialist Party (PS) |
| Oeiras | 180,194 | | Socialist Party (PS) | Democratic Alliance (AD) |
| Ponta Delgada | 67,975 | | Social Democratic Party (PSD) | Social Democratic Party (PSD) |
| Portalegre | 25,800 | | Socialist Party (PS) | Democratic Alliance (AD) |
| Porto | 301,655 | | Socialist Party (PS) | Democratic Alliance (AD) |
| Santarém | 56,440 | | Socialist Party (PS) | Socialist Party (PS) |
| Setúbal | 65,230 | | Socialist Party (PS) | United People Alliance (APU) |
| Sintra | 124,893 | | Socialist Party (PS) | Democratic Alliance (AD) |
| Viana do Castelo | 70,455 | | Social Democratic Party (PSD) | Democratic Alliance (AD) |
| Vila Nova de Gaia | 180,875 | | Socialist Party (PS) | Democratic Alliance (AD) |
| Vila Real | 44,550 | | Social Democratic Party (PSD) | Social Democratic Party (PSD) |
| Viseu | 73,010 | | Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) | Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) |

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

Summary of the 16 December 1979 Municipal Assemblies elections results :
| Parties | Parties | Votes | % | ±pp swing | Candidacies | Mandates | Mandates |
| Parties | Parties | Votes | % | ±pp swing | Candidacies | Total | ± |
| | Socialist | 1,245,306 | 27.86 | 5.5 | | 2,686 | 988 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 1,056,656 | 23.64 | — | | 2,122 | — |
| | United People Alliance | 916,990 | 20.51 | 2.4 | | 1,746 | 1,067 |
| | Social Democratic | 747,911 | 16.73 | 7.8 | | 2,230 | 572 |
| | Democratic and Social Centre | 308,721 | 6.91 | 9.5 | | 832 | 221 |
| | People's Democratic Union | 55,794 | 1.25 | — | | 58 | — |
| | Portuguese Workers' Communist | 10,783 | 0.24 | 0.1 | | 0 | 0 |
| | People's Monarchist | 5,578 | 0.12 | 0.0 | | 26 | 24 |
| | UEDS | 596 | 0.01 | — | | 3 | — |
| | Christian Democratic | 417 | 0.00 | 0.0 | | 0 | 0 |
| Total valid | Total valid | 4,266,013 | 97.28 | 2.1 | — | 9,703 | 4,568 |
| Blank ballots | Blank ballots | 59,564 | 1.33 | 1.2 | | | |
| Invalid ballots | Invalid ballots | 62,241 | 1.39 | 0.9 | | | |
| Total | Total | 4,387,818 | 100.00 | | | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 6,105,647 | 71.86 | 7.3 | | | |
| $^A$ In 1976, as Electoral Front United People. ||||||||

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

Summary of the 16 December 1979 Parish Assemblies elections results :
| Parties | Parties | Votes | % | ±pp swing | Candidacies | Mandates | Mandates | Presidents | Presidents |
| Parties | Parties | Votes | % | ±pp swing | Candidacies | Total | ± | Total | ± |
| | Socialist | 1,219,298 | 27.77 | 4.9 | | 10,613 | 2,268 | | |
| | Democratic Alliance | 1,000,702 | 22.79 | — | | 9,785 | — | | — |
| | United People Alliance | 898,670 | 20.47 | 5.1 | | 4,732 | 2,441 | | |
| | Social Democratic | 736,954 | 16.78 | 7.6 | | 9,447 | 371 | | |
| | Democratic and Social Centre | 306,332 | 6.98 | 8.1 | | 4,661 | 416 | | |
| | Independents | 49,207 | 1.12 | 2.9 | | 707 | 523 | | |
| | People's Democratic Union | 41,414 | 0.94 | — | | 55 | — | | — |
| | Portuguese Workers' Communist | 6,010 | 0.14 | 0.2 | | 3 | 1 | | |
| | People's Monarchist | 5,006 | 0.12 | 0.1 | | 78 | 66 | | |
| | Christian Democratic | 2,594 | 0.06 | — | | 26 | — | | — |
| | Workers Party of Socialist Unity | 695 | 0.02 | — | | 1 | — | | — |
| | UEDS | 600 | 0.01 | — | | 2 | — | | — |
| Total valid | Total valid | 4,141,981 | 97.19 | 1.6 | — | 40,110 | — | | — |
| Blank ballots | Blank ballots | 54,704 | 1.25 | 0.9 | | | | | |
| Invalid ballots | Invalid ballots | 68,502 | 1.56 | 0.7 | | | | | |
| Total | Total | 4,265,187 | 100.00 | | | | | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 6,031,266 | 70.72 | 5.1 | | | | | |
| $^A$ In 1976, as Electoral Front United People. ||||||||||

### 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)