# 1987 Asturian regional election

The 1987 Asturian regional election was held on Wednesday, 10 June 1987, to elect the 2nd General Junta of the Principality of Asturias. All 45 seats in the General Junta were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in twelve other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain, as well as the 1987 European Parliament election.
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) of incumbent President Pedro de Silva remained the most-voted party, but lost 13 percentage points as well as the absolute majority it had enjoyed in the previous legislature. The internal crisis within the People's Coalition after the breakup of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) from the alliance resulted in the People's Alliance (AP) standing alone in the election, losing 25,000 votes and 5 percentage points.
Disenchanted voters with the Socialist government that did not see AP as a credible opposition alternative went on to centrist Democratic and Social Centre (CDS), which saw a significant increase of its vote share and entered the General Junta with 8 seats. United Left (IU), the new incarnation of the Communist Party of Spain and its allies, lost 1 seat despite achieving more votes than in 1983.

## Overview
### Electoral system

The General Junta of the Principality of Asturias was the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of Asturias, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Asturian Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a regional president.
Voting for the General Junta was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered in Asturias and in full enjoyment of their political rights. The 45 members of the General Junta of the Principality of Asturias were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with an electoral threshold of three percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each constituency. Seats were allocated to constituencies, which were established by law as follows:
* Central District, comprising the municipalities of Aller, Avilés, Bimenes, Carreño, Caso, Castrillón, Corvera de Asturias, Gijón, Gozón, Illas, Las Regueras, Langreo, Laviana, Lena, Llanera, Mieres, Morcín, Noreña, Oviedo, Proaza, Quirós, Ribera de Arriba, Riosa, San Martín del Rey Aurelio, Santo Adriano, Sariego, Siero, Sobrescobio and Soto del Barco.
* Eastern District, comprising the municipalities of Amieva, Cabrales, Cabranes, Cangas de Onís, Caravia, Colunga, Llanes, Nava, Onís, Parres, Peñamellera Alta, Peñamellera Baja, Piloña, Ponga, Ribadedeva, Ribadesella and Villaviciosa.
* Western District, comprising the municipalities of Allande, Belmonte de Miranda, Boal, Candamo, Cangas del Narcea, Castropol, Coaña, Cudillero, Degaña, El Franco, Grado, Grandas de Salime, Ibias, Illano, Muros de Nalón, Navia, Pesoz, Pravia, Salas, San Martín de Oscos, Santa Eulalia de Oscos, San Tirso de Abres, Somiedo, Tapia de Casariego, Taramundi, Teverga, Tineo, Valdés, Vegadeo, Villanueva de Oscos, Villayón and Yernes y Tameza.
Each constituency was allocated an initial minimum of two seats, with the remaining 39 being distributed in proportion to their populations.
In smaller constituencies, the use of the electoral method resulted in an effective threshold based on the district magnitude and the distribution of votes among candidacies.

### Election date

The term of the General Junta of the Principality of Asturias expired four years after the date of its previous election. The election decree was required to be issued no later than the twenty-fifth day prior to the date of expiry of parliament and published on the following day in the Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias (BOPA), with election day taking place between the fifty-fourth and the sixtieth day from publication and set so as to make it coincide with elections to the regional assemblies of other autonomous communities. The previous election was held on 8 May 1983, which meant that the legislature's term would have expired on 8 May 1987. The election decree was required to be published in the BOPA no later than 14 April 1987, with the election taking place no later than the sixtieth day from publication, setting the latest possible election date for the General Junta on Saturday, 13 June 1987.
The General Junta could not be dissolved before the date of expiry of parliament except in the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional president within a two-month period from the first ballot. In such a case, the General Junta was to be automatically dissolved and a snap election called, with elected deputies merely serving out what remained of their four-year terms.

## Parliamentary composition

The General Junta of the Principality of Asturias was officially dissolved on 14 April 1987, after the publication of the dissolution decree in the Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias. The table below shows the composition of the parliamentary groups in the General Junta at the time of dissolution.
Parliamentary composition in April 1987 :
| Groups | Groups | Parties | Parties | Legislators | Legislators |
| Groups | Groups | Parties | Parties | Seats | Total |
| | Socialist Parliamentary Group | | PSOE | 27 | 27 |
| | People's Parliamentary Group | | AP | 10 | 10 |
| | People's Parliamentary Group | | PCA–PCE | 4 | 4 |
| | Mixed Parliamentary Group | | PDP | 3 | 4 |
| | Mixed Parliamentary Group | | INDEP | 1 | 4 |

## Parties and candidates

The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, coalitions and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form a coalition ahead of an election were required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election call, whereas groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of at least one percent of the electorate in the constituencies for which they sought election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates.
Below is a list of the main parties and electoral alliances which contested the election:
| Candidacy | Candidacy | Parties and alliances | Leading candidate | Leading candidate | Ideology | Previous result | Previous result | Gov. | Ref. |
| Candidacy | Candidacy | Parties and alliances | Leading candidate | Leading candidate | Ideology | Votes (%) | Seats | Gov. | Ref. |
| | PSOE | List Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) | | Pedro de Silva | Social democracy | 51.96% | 26 | Y | |
| | AP | List People's Alliance (AP) | | Isidro Fernández Rozada | Conservatism National conservatism | 30.23% | 14 | N | |
| | PDP | List People's Democratic Party (PDP) | | Celestino de Nicolás | Christian democracy | 30.23% | 14 | N | |
| | IU | List Communist Party of Asturias (PCA–PCE) Socialist Action Party (PASOC) Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE) Progressive Federation (FP) Republican Left (IR) | | Francisco Javier Suárez | Socialism Communism | 11.13% | 5 | N | |
| | CDS | List Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) | | Alejandro Rebollo | Centrism Liberalism | 3.45% | 0 | N | |

## Opinion polls

The tables below list opinion polling results in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first and using the dates when the survey fieldwork was done, as opposed to the date of publication. Where the fieldwork dates are unknown, the date of publication is given instead. The highest percentage figure in each polling survey is displayed with its background shaded in the leading party's colour. If a tie ensues, this is applied to the figures with the highest percentages. The "Lead" column on the right shows the percentage-point difference between the parties with the highest percentages in a poll.

### Voting intention estimates

The table below lists weighted voting intention estimates. Refusals are generally excluded from the party vote percentages, while question wording and the treatment of "don't know" responses and those not intending to vote may vary between polling organisations. When available, seat projections determined by the polling organisations are displayed below (or in place of) the percentages in a smaller font; 23 seats were required for an absolute majority in the General Junta of the Principality of Asturias.
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Turnout | | | | | | | Lead |
| 1987 regional election | 10 Jun 1987 | — | 66.6 | 38.9 20 | – | 12.1 4 | 18.5 8 | 25.2 13 | 0.6 0 | 13.7 |
| Demoscopia/El País | 22–26 May 1987 | ? | 64 | 36.7 19/20 | – | 11.6 5/6 | 17.0 8/9 | 24.0 11 | 2.5 0 | 12.7 |
| Sofemasa/AP | 16 Apr 1987 | ? | ? | 39.2 | – | 12.9 | 18.5 | 24.0 | 1.0 | 15.2 |
| 1986 general election | 22 Jun 1986 | — | 67.8 | 46.0 | 27.2 | 9.2 | 13.2 | | | 18.8 |
| 1983 regional election | 8 May 1983 | — | 65.0 | 52.0 26 | 30.2 14 | 11.1 5 | 3.5 0 | | | 21.8 |

### Voting preferences

The table below lists raw, unweighted voting preferences.

#### Color key

Poll conducted after legal ban on opinion polls
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | | | | | | | ? | N | Lead |
| 1987 regional election | 10 Jun 1987 | — | 25.6 | – | 8.0 | 12.2 | 16.6 | 0.4 | — | 33.2 | 9.0 |
| CIS | 29 May–5 Jun 1987 | 1,386 | 29.3 | – | 9.6 | 9.4 | 10.2 | 0.3 | 32.8 | 7.1 | 19.1 |
| CIS | 8–16 May 1987 | 2,193 | 30.0 | – | 7.0 | 10.0 | 8.0 | 0.0 | 34.0 | 9.0 | 20.0 |
| CIS | 3–15 Apr 1987 | 2,185 | 34.0 | – | 7.0 | 11.0 | 8.0 | – | 29.0 | 8.0 | 23.0 |
| CIS | 6–26 Feb 1987 | 2,872 | 30.0 | – | 7.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 | – | 30.0 | 14.0 | 21.0 |
| 1986 general election | 22 Jun 1986 | — | 31.0 | 18.4 | 6.2 | 8.9 | | | — | 31.2 | 12.6 |
| 1983 regional election | 8 May 1983 | — | 33.6 | 19.5 | 7.2 | 2.2 | | | — | 35.0 | 14.1 |

### Victory preferences

The table below lists opinion polling on the victory preferences for each party in the event of a regional election taking place.

#### Color key

Poll conducted after legal ban on opinion polls
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | | | | | Other/ None | ? | Lead |
| CIS | 29 May–5 Jun 1987 | 1,386 | 35.9 | 12.1 | 11.3 | 12.1 | 1.7 | 26.9 | 23.8 |
| CIS | 8–16 May 1987 | 2,193 | 36.0 | 10.0 | 9.0 | 13.0 | 1.0 | 30.0 | 23.0 |
| CIS | 3–15 Apr 1987 | 2,185 | 37.0 | 10.0 | 9.0 | 13.0 | 2.0 | 30.0 | 24.0 |
| CIS | 6–26 Feb 1987 | 2,872 | 34.0 | 11.0 | 7.0 | 10.0 | 2.0 | 35.0 | 23.0 |

### Victory likelihood

The table below lists opinion polling on the perceived likelihood of victory for each party in the event of a regional election taking place.

#### Color key

Poll conducted after legal ban on opinion polls
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | | | | | Other/ None | ? | Lead |
| CIS | 29 May–5 Jun 1987 | 1,386 | 63.7 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 0.1 | 26.6 | 59.9 |
| CIS | 8–16 May 1987 | 2,193 | 61.0 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 28.0 | 57.0 |
| CIS | 3–15 Apr 1987 | 2,185 | 61.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 33.0 | 58.0 |
| CIS | 6–26 Feb 1987 | 2,872 | 55.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 38.0 | 52.0 |

### Preferred President

The table below lists opinion polling on leader preferences to become president of the Principality of Asturias.

#### Color key

Poll conducted after legal ban on opinion polls
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | | | | | | Other/ None/ Not care | ? | Lead |
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | De Silva PSOE | Rozada AP | Suárez IU | Rebollo CDS | De Nicolás PDP | Other/ None/ Not care | ? | Lead |
| CIS | 29 May–5 Jun 1987 | 1,386 | 32.9 | 10.2 | 7.6 | 5.0 | 0.4 | 15.0 | 28.9 | 22.7 |
| CIS | 8–16 May 1987 | 2,193 | 30.0 | 6.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 22.0 | 33.0 | 24.0 |
| CIS | 3–15 Apr 1987 | 2,185 | 27.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | – | 21.0 | 37.0 | 23.0 |

## Results
### Overall

← Summary of the 10 June 1987 General Junta of the Principality of Asturias election results → :
| Parties and alliances | Parties and alliances | Popular vote | Popular vote | Popular vote | Seats | Seats |
| Parties and alliances | Parties and alliances | Votes | % | ±pp | Total | +/− |
| | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) | 223,307 | 38.91 | –13.05 | 20 | –6 |
| | People's Alliance (AP)$^1$ | 144,541 | 25.18 | –5.05 | 13 | –1 |
| | Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) | 106,266 | 18.52 | +15.07 | 8 | +8 |
| | United Left (IU)$^2$ | 69,413 | 12.09 | +0.96 | 4 | –1 |
| | Asturianist Party (PAS) | 7,348 | 1.28 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Workers' Party of Spain–Communist Unity (PTE–UC) | 4,875 | 0.85 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | People's Democratic Party (PDP) | 3,606 | 0.63 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Asturian Nationalist Ensame (ENA) | 2,809 | 0.49 | +0.05 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Workers' Socialist Party (PST) | 2,493 | 0.43 | –0.40 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Humanist Platform (PH) | 1,251 | 0.22 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (FE–JONS) | 957 | 0.17 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| Blank ballots | Blank ballots | 7,076 | 1.23 | +0.82 | | |
| Total | Total | 573,942 | | | 45 | ±0 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 573,942 | 98.60 | –0.74 | | |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | 8,135 | 1.40 | +0.74 | | |
| Votes cast / turnout | Votes cast / turnout | 582,077 | 66.58 | +1.54 | | |
| Abstentions | Abstentions | 292,233 | 33.42 | –1.54 | | |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | 874,310 | | | | |
| Sources |||||||
| Footnotes: $^1$ People's Alliance results are compared to People's Coalition totals in the 1983 election.$^2$ United Left results are compared to Communist Party of Asturias totals in the 1983 election. |||||||
Popular vote
PSOE
38.91%
AP
25.18%
CDS
18.52%
IU
12.09%
PAS
1.28%
Others
2.79%
Blank ballots
1.23% :
Seats
PSOE
44.44%
AP
28.89%
CDS
17.78%
IU
8.89% :

### Distribution by constituency

| Constituency | PSOE | PSOE | AP | AP | CDS | CDS | IU | IU |
| Constituency | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S |
| Central | 37.0 | 13 | 23.6 | 8 | 19.9 | 7 | 13.6 | 4 |
| Eastern | 44.3 | 3 | 35.3 | 2 | 13.6 | − | 3.7 | − |
| Western | 45.9 | 4 | 27.8 | 3 | 13.8 | 1 | 8.7 | − |
| Total | 38.9 | 20 | 25.2 | 13 | 18.5 | 8 | 12.1 | 4 |
| Sources |||||||||

## Aftermath

Investiture :
| Ballot → | Ballot → | 22 June 1987 | 22 June 1987 | 24 June 1987 | 24 June 1987 |
| Required majority → | Required majority → | 23 out of 45 | 23 out of 45 | Simple | Simple |
| | Pedro de Silva (PSOE) • PSOE (20) | 20 / 45 | N | 20 / 45 | Y |
| | Abstentions • AP (13) • CDS (8) • IU (4) | 25 / 45 | 25 / 45 | 25 / 45 | 25 / 45 |
| | Absentees | 0 / 45 | 0 / 45 | 0 / 45 | 0 / 45 |
| Sources ||||||