1931 Spanish local elections

The 1931 Spanish local elections were held on 12 April throughout all municipalities in Spain to elect 80,472 councillors. The elections were perceived as a plebiscite on the monarchy of Alfonso XIII. After republican parties and their allies came away with a convincing victory, the king left the country and the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. A provisional government was formed shortly thereafter, with national elections scheduled for later in the year.

Background

Since 1923, Spain had been a dictatorship with the approval of the reigning monarch at the time: Alfonso XIII. After the end of the Primo de Rivera dictatorship in 1930 and the failure of his successor to establish another dictatorship, in 1931 the new cabinet appointed by the king decided to hold new local elections for first time in nine years. Although they were local elections, they were perceived as a plebiscite on the Spanish monarchy, as no national elections or polls had been held since 1923.

Electoral system

The number of seats of each council was determined by the population count. According to the 1877 municipal law, the population-seat relationship on each municipality was to be established on the following scale: ^[1]

Population	Seats		Population	Seats		Population	Seats
<500	6		16,001–18,000	21		55,001–60,000	36
501–800	7		18,001–20,000	22		60,001–65,000	37
801–1,000	8		20,001–22,000	23		65,001–70,000	38
1,001–2,000	9		22,001–24,000	24		70,001–75,000	39
2,001–3,000	10		24,001–26,000	25		75,001–80,000	40
3,001–4,000	11		26,001–28,000	26		80,001–85,000	41
4,001–5,000	12		28,001–30,000	27		85,001–90,000	42
5,001–6,000	13		30,001–32,000	28		90,001–95,000	43
6,001–7,000	14		32,001–34,000	29		95,001–100,000	44
7,001–8,000	15		34,001–36,000	30		100,001–120,000	45
8,001–9,000	16		36,001–38,000	31		120,001–140,000	46
9,001–10,000	17		38,001–40,000	32		140,001–160,000	47
10,001–12,000	18		40,001–45,000	33		160,001–180,000	48
12,001–14,000	19		45,001–50,000	34		180,001–200,000	49
14,001–16,000	20		50,001–55,000	35		>200,001	50

The 1907 election law established that councillors should be elected in districts consisting of 4 members, although 3 to 7 member districts were also allowed. Voters had to choose multiple candidates using limited voting, which allows a voter to vote for fewer candidates than members have to be elected. Candidates winning a plurality of votes in each district were elected. If the number of candidates was equal or fewer than the number of seats to be filled, candidates were automatically proclaimed without an election. Voting was compulsory and on the basis of universal manhood suffrage, with males over twenty-five and at least a two-year residency in a municipality required to vote. Mayors were elected indirectly by the city or town council on the first session after the election. ^{[1] [2]}

Results

Overall results

Winners in number of seats by province and provincial capital. Republicans + Socialists + Communists:

  <50%

  >50%

Monarchists:

  <50%

  >50%

Other:

  <50%

  >50%

The results shown were extracted from the 1931 Spanish Statistical Annuary. ^[3]

Candidates			Seats
			Total seats		Automatically proclaimed		Elected
			#	%	#	%	#	%
		Republicans	34,368	42.71	13,940	46.77	20,428	40.32
		Socialists	4,813	5.98	887	2.98	3,926	7.75
		Communists	67	0.08	10	0.03	57	0.11
		Monarchists	19,035	23.65	6,065	20.35	12,970	25.60
		Other	15,198	18.89	6,043	20.28	9,155	18.07
		Unknown	6,991	8.69	2,859	9.59	4,132	8.16
Total			80,472	100.00	29,804	100.00	50,668	100.00

Results showed a win of the Republicans by a large margin in Asturias, Aragon and Catalonia. Monarchists got their best results in the Balearic Islands, Andalusia and Extremadura.

The republicans had a majority in more than four-fifths of the provincial capitals. In the city of Barcelona, the largest city by that time, they obtained more than the 75% of the seats.

These were the results in the province capitals plus Ceuta and Melilla: ^{[4] [5]}

Municipality	Seats	Republicans					Monarchists
		Rep	Soc	Com	Other	Total	Mon	Other	Total
A Coruña	39	33	1			34	5		5
Albacete	32	14	4			18	14		14
Alicante	39	15	14			29	10		10
Almería	35	24	4			28	7		7
Ávila	19	8				8	11		11
Badajoz	33	11	10			21	12		12
Barcelona	50	34	4			38		12	12
Bilbao	46	12	12	11		35	3	8	11
Burgos	30	10	4			14	16		16
Cáceres	24	14				14	10		10
Cádiz	40					0	40		40
Castelló de la Plana	30	24	2			26		4	4
Ceuta	35	16	10			26		9	9
Ciudad Real	24	4	12			16	8		8
Cuenca	21	6	5			11	10		10
Córdoba	44	19	8			27	17		17
Girona	23	12	3			15	3	5	8
Granada	45	17	18			35	6	4	10
Guadalajara	20	6	8			14	5	1	6
Huelva	33	13	10			23	2	8	10
Huesca	20	14				14	4	2	6
Jaén	32	11	11			22	10		10
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria	39	8	8			16	20	3	23
León	26	11	7			18	7	1	8
Lleida	30	23				23		7	7
Logroño	28	17	3			20		8	8
Lugo	28	3	4			7	21		21
Madrid	50	16	15			31	18	1	19
Málaga	47	31	5	1		37	10		10
Melilla	32	19	9			28		4	4
Murcia	46	18	4	2		24	19	3	22
Ourense	23	6	4	3		13		10	10
Oviedo	40	27				27		13	13
Palencia	24	11	5			16	8		8
Palma	41	5	4			9	27	5	32
Pamplona	29	9	6			15	14		14
Pontevedra	27	7	2	2	5	16	9	2	11
Salamanca	31	14	5			19	12		12
San Sebastián	39	18	7		6	31	6	2	8
Santa Cruz de Tenerife	36	22	3			25	11		11
Santander	40	16	9			25	15		15
Segovia	21	8	3			11	10		10
Seville	50	25	8			33		17	17
Soria	17	7	1			8	7	2	9
Tarragona	28	17	2			19	4	5	9
Teruel	19	7	5			12	7		7
Toledo	25	12	5			17	3	5	8
Valencia	50	32				32	9	9	18
Valladolid	44	16	10			26	18		18
Vitoria	31	12	3			15		16	16
Zamora	22	7	7	1		15	5	2	7
Zaragoza	47	26	6			32	15		15
Total	1,724	767	290	20	11	1,088	468	168	636

Catalonia

Majority of seats in the judicial districts capitals:

  Monarchists

  Republicans

  No data

Largest party by judicial district capital:

   ERC

  PCR

   PRR

   PRDF

  Other republican

   LR

  Other monarchists

Candidates			Seats
			Total seats		Automatically proclaimed		Elected
			#	%	#	%	#	%
		Republicans	6,001	68.42	2,782	71.65	3,219	65.86
		Socialists	133	1.52	19	0.49	114	2.33
		Communists	10	0.11	2	0.05	8	0.16
		Regionalist League	1,773	20.21	759	19.55	1,014	20.74
		Monarchists	399	4.55	120	3.09	279	5.71
		Unknown	455	5.19	201	5.18	254	5.20
			8,771	100.00	3,883	100.00	4,888	100.00

The results showed very favourable results for the republicans in Catalonia. They won every major city (cities over 10,000 and capitals of judicial districts) except for Igualada. In Berga, where they got tied with the monarchists in number of seats. ^[3]

In the most important cities, the results were as follows: ^[6]

Municipality	Seats	Republicans						Monarchists
		ERC	PCR	PRR	PRDF	Other	Total	LR	Other	Total
Arenys de Mar	13		13				13			0
Badalona	32	9			8		17	15		15
Balaguer	13					9	9		4	4
Barcelona	50	25		12		1	38	12		12
Berga	14		7				7	7		7
Cervera	10	4	2				6	2	2	4
El Vendrell	12	7					7		5	5
Falset	11					7	7	1	3	4
Figueres	20	12			6	1	19	1		1
Gandesa	11					7	7	4		4
Girona	23	11	4				15	5	3	8
Granollers	18		13				13		5	5
Igualada	18					8	8		10	10
La Bisbal d'Empordà	12	2	1		5		8		4	4
La Seu d'Urgell	11		7				7		4	4
Les Borges Blanques	12			8			8		4	4
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat	26	8		1	2	4	15	11		11
Lleida	30	16		5		1	22	8		8
Manresa	27		9	1		7	17	7	3	10
Mataró	26	6	6			5	17		9	9
Montblanc	12	8					8	4		4
Olot	18					11	11	1	6	7
Puigcerdà	10					7	7	3		3
Reus	29	11	5			5	21	8		8
Sabadell	33	3	1	5	13		22	11		11
Sant Feliu de Llobregat	13	9				4	13			0
Santa Coloma de Farners	12		8				8	3	1	4
Solsona	11					7	7	4		4
Tarragona	28	7	10			2	19	2	7	9
Terrassa	31	8	5			8	21	1	9	10
Tortosa	30					20	20	2	8	10
Tremp	10		7			1	8		2	2
Valls	12	8	2				10		2	2
Vic	19		9			2	11	7	1	8
Vilafranca del Penedès	21	3	4	12		1	20	1		1
Vilanova i la Geltrú	21	15					15	6		6

Aftermath

On 14 April, two days after the election, in the cities where the republicans won the election, large crowds of people celebrated the victory on the streets. In Eibar, Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid and other cities the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. Eibar was the first city to fly the Spanish tricolor.

Alfonso XIII left Spain and exiled to Rome, without abdicating. A provisional government was formed and two months later general elections were called.

References

1. "Ley municipal" (PDF). Gaceta de Madrid. 1877.
2. "Ley electoral" (PDF). Gaceta de Madrid. 1907.
3. Anuario Estadístico de España (PDF). 1931. p. 482.
4. Anuario Estadístico de España (PDF). 1931. p. 483.
5. Hoyos y Vinent, José María de. Mi testimonio. Madrid: Afrodisio Aguado, 1962.
6. Soler Becerro, Raimon. Les eleccions municipals de 1934 a Catalunya. Apèndix 1: Les eleccions municipals de 1931.