1976 Portuguese local elections

Local elections were held in Portugal on Sunday, 12 December 1976.^[1] They were the first local elections in Portugal after the 1976 Constitution introduced the concept of democratic local power, that should be exerted by citizens in their towns and cities.^[2] These elections ended a cycle of three elections in 1976, after the legislative election in April^[3] and the Presidential election in June.^[4]

Quick facts All 304 Portuguese municipalities and 4,260 Portuguese Parishes All 1,906 local government councils, Turnout ...

1976 Portuguese local elections

12 December 1976 1979 →
All 304 Portuguese municipalities and 4,260 Portuguese Parishes All 1,906 local government councils
Turnout	64.6%
First party Second party   Leader Mário Soares Francisco Sá Carneiro Party PS PSD Popular vote 1,386,362 1,012,351 Percentage 33.2% 24.3% Mayors 115 115 Councillors 691 623   Third party Fourth party   Leader Álvaro Cunhal Diogo Freitas do Amaral Party PCP CDS Alliance FEPU Popular vote 737,586 692,869 Percentage 17.7% 16.6% Mayors 37 36 Councillors 267 317

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The elections were meant to elect for the first time the administration of the about 300 municipalities of the country and of the about 4000 parishes that composed those 300 municipalities. They consisted of three elections in each of the municipalities; the election for the municipal chamber, the election for the municipal assembly and the lower-level election for the parish assembly, whose winner is also automatically elected as President.^[2]

Before election day, Prime Minister Mário Soares suggested that if the Socialist Party (PS) achieved weak results, his cabinet would consider resigning.^[5] In the end, the PS gathered the majority of votes (33%) and mandates, beating the Social Democratic Party (24%), although both parties tied in number of elected mayors, each with 115. The Communists led coalition, the Electoral Front United People, dominated the election in the South of the country, with more than 17% of the votes and elected 37 mayors. The right-wing Democratic Social Center, following their strong showing in the 1976 April legislative election, achieved its best result ever in local elections, almost 17% of the votes and 36 mayors.^[6]

Turnout in these elections was quite low, as 64.6% of the electorate cast a ballot, compared with the 83.5% turnout rate of the 1976 general elections in April.