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)

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" align="center"|Total ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|± ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Total ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|±
 * - style="background-color:#E9E9E9"
 * align=right| 1,258,966
 * align=right| 28.33
 * align=right|4.7
 * align=right| 297
 * align=right| 516
 * align=right|175
 * align=right| 60
 * align=right|55
 * style="width: 10px" bgcolor=#2A52BE align="center" |
 * align=left|Democratic Alliance
 * align=right| 1,044,642
 * align=right| 23.51
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 138
 * align=right| 426
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 73
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 885,899
 * align=right| 19.94
 * align=right| 2.6
 * align=right| 295
 * align=right| 316
 * align=right| 48
 * align=right| 50
 * align=right|13
 * align=right| 723,953
 * align=right| 16.29
 * align=right| 8.0
 * align=right| 156
 * align=right| 475
 * align=right|149
 * align=right| 101
 * align=right|14
 * align=right| 334,258
 * align=right| 7.52
 * align=right| 9.1
 * align=right| 102
 * align=right| 156
 * align=right|161
 * align=right| 20
 * align=right|16
 * style="width: 10px" bgcolor=#E2062C align="center" |
 * align=left|People's Democratic Union
 * align=right| 53,076
 * align=right| 1.19
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 95
 * align=right| 3
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 0
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 19,508
 * align=right| 0.44
 * align=right| 0.2
 * align=right| 63
 * align=right| 0
 * align=right| 0
 * align=right| 0
 * align=right|0
 * align=right| 6,631
 * align=right| 0.15
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 9
 * align=right| 2
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 0
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 6,219
 * align=right| 0.14
 * align=right| 0.1
 * align=right| 3
 * align=right| 6
 * align=right|3
 * align=right| 1
 * align=right|0
 * align=right| 1,882
 * align=right| 0.04
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 7
 * align=right| 0
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 0
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 273
 * align=right| 0.01
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 2
 * align=right| 0
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 0
 * align=right| —
 * colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total valid
 * width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,271,897
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|97.56
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|1.8
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|—
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|1,900
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|8
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|305
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|1
 * colspan=2|Blank ballots
 * 44,693||1.01||1.1||colspan=6 rowspan=4|
 * colspan=2|Invalid ballots
 * 63,679||1.43||0.7
 * colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total
 * width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,380,269
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|100.00
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|
 * colspan=2|Registered voters/turnout
 * 6,105,651||71.74||7.1
 * colspan=10 align=left| In 1976, as Electoral Front United People.
 * }
 * colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total valid
 * width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,271,897
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|97.56
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|1.8
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|—
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|1,900
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|8
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|305
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|1
 * colspan=2|Blank ballots
 * 44,693||1.01||1.1||colspan=6 rowspan=4|
 * colspan=2|Invalid ballots
 * 63,679||1.43||0.7
 * colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total
 * width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,380,269
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|100.00
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|
 * colspan=2|Registered voters/turnout
 * 6,105,651||71.74||7.1
 * colspan=10 align=left| In 1976, as Electoral Front United People.
 * }
 * colspan=2|Registered voters/turnout
 * 6,105,651||71.74||7.1
 * colspan=10 align=left| In 1976, as Electoral Front United People.
 * }
 * }

City control
The following table lists party control in all district capitals, as well as in municipalities above 100,000 inhabitants. Population estimates from the 1970 Census.

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" align="center"|Total ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|±
 * - style="background-color:#E9E9E9"
 * align=right| 1,245,306
 * align=right| 27.86
 * align=right| 5.5
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 2,686
 * align=right| 988
 * style="width: 10px" bgcolor=#2A52BE align="center" |
 * align=left|Democratic Alliance
 * align=right| 1,056,656
 * align=right| 23.64
 * align=right| —
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 2,122
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 916,990
 * align=right| 20.51
 * align=right|2.4
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 1,746
 * align=right|1,067
 * align=right| 747,911
 * align=right| 16.73
 * align=right|7.8
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 2,230
 * align=right|572
 * align=right| 308,721
 * align=right| 6.91
 * align=right|9.5
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 832
 * align=right|221
 * style="width: 10px" bgcolor=#E2062C align="center" |
 * align=left|People's Democratic Union
 * align=right| 55,794
 * align=right| 1.25
 * align=right| —
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 58
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 10,783
 * align=right| 0.24
 * align=right| 0.1
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 0
 * align=right|0
 * align=right| 5,578
 * align=right| 0.12
 * align=right| 0.0
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 26
 * align=right| 24
 * align=right| 596
 * align=right| 0.01
 * align=right| —
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 3
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 417
 * align=right| 0.00
 * align=right| 0.0
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 0
 * align=right|0
 * colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total valid
 * width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,266,013
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|97.28
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|2.1
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|—
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|9,703
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,568
 * colspan=2|Blank ballots
 * 59,564||1.33||1.2||colspan=6 rowspan=4|
 * colspan=2|Invalid ballots
 * 62,241||1.39||0.9
 * colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total
 * width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,387,818
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|100.00
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|
 * colspan=2|Registered voters/turnout
 * 6,105,647||71.86||7.3
 * colspan=9 align=left| In 1976, as Electoral Front United People.
 * }
 * colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total valid
 * width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,266,013
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|97.28
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|2.1
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|—
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|9,703
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,568
 * colspan=2|Blank ballots
 * 59,564||1.33||1.2||colspan=6 rowspan=4|
 * colspan=2|Invalid ballots
 * 62,241||1.39||0.9
 * colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total
 * width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,387,818
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|100.00
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|
 * colspan=2|Registered voters/turnout
 * 6,105,647||71.86||7.3
 * colspan=9 align=left| In 1976, as Electoral Front United People.
 * }
 * colspan=2|Registered voters/turnout
 * 6,105,647||71.86||7.3
 * colspan=9 align=left| In 1976, as Electoral Front United People.
 * }
 * }

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" align="center"|Total ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|± ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Total ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|±
 * - style="background-color:#E9E9E9"
 * align=right| 1,219,298
 * align=right| 27.77
 * align=right| 4.9
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 10,613
 * align=right| 2,268
 * align=right|
 * align=right|
 * style="width: 10px" bgcolor=#2A52BE align="center" |
 * align=left|Democratic Alliance
 * align=right| 1,000,702
 * align=right| 22.79
 * align=right| —
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 9,785
 * align=right| —
 * align=right|
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 898,670
 * align=right| 20.47
 * align=right| 5.1
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 4,732
 * align=right| 2,441
 * align=right|
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 736,954
 * align=right| 16.78
 * align=right| 7.6
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 9,447
 * align=right| 371
 * align=right|
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 306,332
 * align=right| 6.98
 * align=right| 8.1
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 4,661
 * align=right| 416
 * align=right|
 * align=right|
 * style="width: 8px" bgcolor=gray align="center" |
 * align=left|Independents
 * align=right| 49,207
 * align=right| 1.12
 * align=right| 2.9
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 707
 * align=right| 523
 * align=right|
 * align=right|
 * style="width: 10px" bgcolor=#E2062C align="center" |
 * align=left|People's Democratic Union
 * align=right| 41,414
 * align=right| 0.94
 * align=right| —
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 55
 * align=right| —
 * align=right|
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 6,010
 * align=right| 0.14
 * align=right| 0.2
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 3
 * align=right| 1
 * align=right|
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 5,006
 * align=right| 0.12
 * align=right| 0.1
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 78
 * align=right| 66
 * align=right|
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 2,594
 * align=right| 0.06
 * align=right| —
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 26
 * align=right| —
 * align=right|
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 695
 * align=right| 0.02
 * align=right| —
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 1
 * align=right| —
 * align=right|
 * align=right| —
 * align=right| 600
 * align=right| 0.01
 * align=right| —
 * align=right|
 * align=right| 2
 * align=right| —
 * align=right|
 * align=right| —
 * colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total valid
 * width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,141,981
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|97.19
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|1.6
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|—
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|40,110
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|—
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"| 
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|—
 * colspan=2|Blank ballots
 * 54,704||1.25||0.9||colspan=6 rowspan=4|
 * colspan=2|Invalid ballots
 * 68,502||1.56||0.7
 * colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total
 * width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,265,187
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|100.00
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|
 * colspan=2|Registered voters/turnout
 * 6,031,266||70.72||5.1
 * colspan=10 align=left| In 1976, as Electoral Front United People.
 * }
 * colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total valid
 * width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,141,981
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|97.19
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|1.6
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|—
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|40,110
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|—
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"| 
 * width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|—
 * colspan=2|Blank ballots
 * 54,704||1.25||0.9||colspan=6 rowspan=4|
 * colspan=2|Invalid ballots
 * 68,502||1.56||0.7
 * colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total
 * width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,265,187
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|100.00
 * width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|
 * colspan=2|Registered voters/turnout
 * 6,031,266||70.72||5.1
 * colspan=10 align=left| In 1976, as Electoral Front United People.
 * }
 * colspan=2|Registered voters/turnout
 * 6,031,266||70.72||5.1
 * colspan=10 align=left| In 1976, as Electoral Front United People.
 * }
 * colspan=10 align=left| In 1976, as Electoral Front United People.
 * }