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All 31 seats in the City Council of Zaragoza 16 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Opinion polls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Registered | 503,743 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 335,350 (66.6%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A municipal election was held in Zaragoza on Sunday, 28 May 2023, to elect the 12th City Council of the municipality. All 31 seats in the City Council were up for election. It was held concurrently with regional elections in twelve autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.
Under the 1978 Constitution, the governance of municipalities in Spain—part of the country's local government system—was centered on the figure of city councils (Spanish : ayuntamientos), local corporations with independent legal personality composed of a mayor, a government council and an elected legislative assembly. [1] [2] In the case of Zaragoza, the top-tier administrative and governing body was the City Council of Zaragoza. [3]
Voting for local assemblies was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered and residing in the municipality of Zaragoza and in full enjoyment of their political rights (provided that they were not sentenced—by a final court ruling—to deprivation of the right to vote), as well as resident non-national European citizens and those whose country of origin allowed Spanish nationals to vote in their own elections by virtue of a treaty. [2] [4] [5]
Local councillors were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional voting system, with an electoral threshold of five percent of valid votes (which included blank ballots) being applied in each municipality. [6] Each municipality constituted a multi-member constituency, entitled a number of seats based on the following scale: [7]
| Population | Councillors |
|---|---|
| <100 | 3 |
| 101–250 | 5 |
| 251–1,000 | 7 |
| 1,001–2,000 | 9 |
| 2,001–5,000 | 11 |
| 5,001–10,000 | 13 |
| 10,001–20,000 | 17 |
| 20,001–50,000 | 21 |
| 50,001–100,000 | 25 |
| >100,001 | +1 per each 100,000 inhabitants or fraction +1 if total is an even number |
The law did not provide for by-elections to fill vacated seats; instead, any vacancies that occurred after the proclamation of candidates and into the legislative term were to be covered by the successive candidates in the list and, when required, by the designated substitutes. [8]
The mayor was indirectly elected by the local assembly. [2] A legal clause required candidates to earn the vote of an absolute majority of councillors, or else the candidate of the most-voted party was to be automatically appointed to the post. In the event of a tie, the appointee was to be determined by lot. [9]
The term of city councils in Spain expired four years after the date of their previous election, with election day being fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years (as of 2025, this has been the year before a leap year). [10] Local councils could not be dissolved before the expiry of their term, except in cases of mismanagement that seriously harmed the public interest and implied a breach of constitutional obligations, in which case the Council of Ministers could—optionally—agree to call a by-election. [11]
Elections to local councils not bound to the open council system were officially called on 4 April 2023 with the publication of the corresponding decree in the BOE, setting election day for 28 May. [12]
The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, alliances and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form an alliance 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 a determined amount of the electors registered in the municipality for which they sought election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates. In the case of Zaragoza, as its population was between 300,001 and 1,000,000, at least 5,000 signatures were required. [13] Additionally, a balanced composition of men and women was required in the electoral lists, so that candidates of either sex made up at least 40 percent of the total composition. [14]
Below is a list of the main parties and electoral alliances which contested the election:
| Candidacy | Parties and alliances | Leading candidate | Ideology | Previous result | Gov. | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vote % | Seats | ||||||||
| PSOE | List | | Lola Ranera | Social democracy | 28.0% | 10 | [15] | ||
| PP | List
| | Natalia Chueca | Conservatism Christian democracy | 22.0% | 8 | [16] [17] | ||
| CS– Tú Aragón | List
| | Daniel Pérez | Liberalism | 18.3% | 6 | [18] [19] | ||
| ZGZ/ZeC | List
| | Elena Tomás | Localism Left-wing populism Participatory democracy | 10.1% | 3 | [20] | ||
| Podemos–AV | List
| | Fernando Rivarés | Left-wing populism Direct democracy Democratic socialism | 6.2% | 2 | [21] | ||
| Vox | List
| | Julio Calvo | Right-wing populism Ultranationalism National conservatism | 6.2% | 2 | [22] | ||
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.
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; 16 seats were required for an absolute majority in the City Council of Zaragoza.
Poll conducted after legal ban on opinion polls
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Turnout | | | | | | | | | | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 municipal election | 28 May 2023 | — | 66.6 | 26.4 10 | 37.9 15 | 1.7 0 | 5.8 2 | 4.5 0 | 12.4 4 | 4.7 0 | 0.9 0 | – | 11.5 |
| GAD3/RTVE–FORTA [p 1] | 12–27 May 2023 | 1,100 | ? | 28.0 10/11 | 37.0 14 | 3.0 0 | 5.0 0/2 | 5.0 1/2 | 11.0 4 | 4.0 0 | 2.0 0 | – | 9.0 |
| 40dB/Prisa [p 2] [p 3] | 12–17 May 2023 | 800 | ? | 26.7 9/10 | 37.5 14/15 | 3.2 0 | 8.0 2/3 | 5.3 0/1 | 8.5 3 | 5.7 0/2 | – | – | 10.8 |
| CIS [p 4] [p 5] | 10–26 Apr 2023 | 1,088 | ? | 26.9 9/10 | 36.4 12/14 | 3.6 0 | 8.6 2/3 | 5.6 0/2 | 8.6 2/3 | 5.6 0/2 | 1.0 0 | – | 9.5 |
| A+M/Heraldo de Aragón [p 6] | 14–18 Apr 2023 | 800 | 66.2 | 30.7 10/11 | 39.5 14/15 | 2.3 0 | 9.3 3 | 5.8 2 | 4.8 0/2 | 5.4 1/2 | 1.2 0 | – | 8.8 |
| Sigma Dos/El Mundo [p 7] [p 8] | 14–17 Nov 2022 | 500 | ? | 29.0 10 | 39.0 14 | 3.8 0 | 9.3 3 | 4.6 0 | 6.9 2 | 5.7 2 | – | – | 10.0 |
| SocioMétrica/El Español [p 9] [p 10] | 3–7 Oct 2022 | 600 | ? | 26.2 9/10 | 36.9 14/15 | 3.6 0 | 8.1 3 | 4.5 0 | 11.6 4 | 4.2 0 | 1.6 0 | – | 10.7 |
| A+M/Heraldo de Aragón [p 11] [p 12] | 27 Sep–6 Oct 2022 | 900 | 68.8 | 26.0 9 | 39.6 14 | 3.7 0 | 6.0 2 | 6.6 2 | 7.4 2 | 6.4 2 | 1.3 0 | – | 13.6 |
| A+M/Heraldo de Aragón [p 13] [p 14] | 4–18 Apr 2022 | 800 | 68.6 | 21.7 7 | 42.9 15 | 6.3 2 | 6.6 2 | 5.3 1 | 7.3 2 | 6.4 2 | 1.9 0 | – | 21.2 |
| EM-Analytics/Electomanía [p 15] | 13 May–6 Aug 2021 | 405 | ? | 24.5 9 | 35.7 13 | 5.0 1 | 7.7 2 | 5.1 1 | 8.9 3 | 6.8 2 | 1.6 0 | – | 11.2 |
| A+M/Heraldo de Aragón [p 16] [p 17] | 15–16 Apr 2021 | 800 | 66.2 | 28.7 10 | 36.9 14 | 5.2 1 | 5.9 2 | 4.6 0 | 7.6 2 | 6.9 2 | 1.4 0 | – | 8.2 |
| November 2019 general election | 10 Nov 2019 | — | 72.5 | 30.0 (10) | 23.2 (8) | 9.6 (3) | [a] | [a] | 17.3 (6) | 4.9 (0) | – | 12.0 (4) | 6.8 |
| 2019 municipal election | 26 May 2019 | — | 65.8 | 28.0 10 | 22.0 8 | 18.3 6 | 10.1 3 | 6.2 2 | 6.2 2 | 4.6 0 | 1.7 0 | – | 6.0 |
The table below lists raw, unweighted voting preferences.
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | | | | | | | | | | Lead | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 municipal election | 28 May 2023 | — | 17.4 | 25.0 | 1.1 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 8.2 | 3.1 | 0.6 | – | — | 33.4 | 7.6 |
| 40dB/Prisa [p 3] | 12–17 May 2023 | 800 | 15.6 | 22.3 | 3.0 | 5.4 | 4.0 | 8.2 | 4.2 | 0.4 | – | 23.4 | 6.8 | 6.7 |
| CIS [p 4] | 10–26 Apr 2023 | 1,088 | 18.8 | 25.9 | 1.4 | 6.1 | 3.7 | 6.8 | 2.6 | 0.4 | – | 26.9 | 3.4 | 7.1 |
| Fundación DFA/City Council [p 18] | 16 Feb–22 Mar 2023 | 2,025 | 10.3 | 18.4 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 4.9 | 0.5 | 0.3 | – | 47.9 | 8.8 | 8.1 |
| Fundación DFA/City Council [p 19] | 24 Oct–29 Nov 2022 | 2,030 | 12.5 | 18.1 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 6.3 | 0.9 | 0.0 | – | 40.9 | 10.0 | 5.6 |
| Fundación DFA/City Council [p 20] | 6 Apr–16 May 2022 | 2,025 | 13.3 | 19.7 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 6.4 | 1.3 | 0.2 | – | 35.1 | 10.4 | 6.4 |
| Fundación DFA/City Council [p 21] | 27 Oct–29 Nov 2021 | 2,025 | 12.1 | 18.4 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 5.8 | 1.0 | 0.1 | – | 38.0 | 9.2 | 6.3 |
| Fundación DFA/City Council [p 22] | 10 May–11 Jun 2021 | 2,025 | 12.9 | 21.1 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 5.2 | 0.6 | 0.3 | – | 31.5 | 10.4 | 8.2 |
| Fundación DFA/City Council [p 23] | 9 Nov–2 Dec 2020 | 2,025 | 14.3 | 15.4 | 4.0 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 4.7 | 0.4 | 0.3 | – | 35.0 | 10.7 | 1.1 |
| Fundación DFA/City Council [p 24] | 25 May–2 Jul 2020 | 2,038 | 16.8 | 17.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 1.0 | 0.2 | – | 28.8 | 13.8 | 0.9 |
| November 2019 general election | 10 Nov 2019 | — | 21.6 | 16.7 | 6.9 | [a] | [a] | 12.5 | 3.5 | – | 8.7 | — | 28.7 | 4.9 |
| 2019 municipal election | 26 May 2019 | — | 18.1 | 14.2 | 11.8 | 6.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.1 | 1.1 | – | — | 34.2 | 3.9 |
| Parties and alliances | Popular vote | Seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | ±pp | Total | +/− | ||
| People's Party (PP) | 125,751 | 37.88 | +15.84 | 15 | +7 | |
| Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) | 87,790 | 26.45 | −1.55 | 10 | ±0 | |
| Vox (Vox) | 41,061 | 12.37 | +6.20 | 4 | +2 | |
| Zaragoza in Common: United Left–Let's Win Zaragoza (ZGZ/ZeC) | 19,381 | 5.84 | −4.24 | 2 | −1 | |
| Aragonese Union (CHA) | 15,757 | 4.75 | +0.13 | 0 | ±0 | |
| We Can–Green Alliance (Podemos–AV) | 14,908 | 4.49 | −1.71 | 0 | −2 | |
| Aragon Exists–Exists Coalition (Existe) | 8,081 | 2.43 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Citizens–You Aragon (CS–Tú Aragón) | 5,530 | 1.67 | −16.60 | 0 | −6 | |
| Aragonese Party (PAR) | 2,902 | 0.87 | −0.82 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Zaragoza Now (Zaragoza Ya) | 2,104 | 0.63 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Blank Seats to Leave Empty Seats (EB) | 1,641 | 0.49 | +0.26 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) | 699 | 0.21 | +0.14 | 0 | ±0 | |
| For a Fairer World (PUM+J) | 601 | 0.18 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Federation of Independents of Aragon (FIA) | 370 | 0.11 | +0.05 | 0 | ±0 | |
| We Propose for Minorities (Proponemos XM) | 188 | 0.06 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Blank ballots | 5,202 | 1.57 | +0.93 | |||
| Total | 331,966 | 31 | ±0 | |||
| Valid votes | 331,966 | 98.99 | −0.61 | |||
| Invalid votes | 3,384 | 1.01 | +0.61 | |||
| Votes cast / turnout | 335,350 | 66.57 | +0.76 | |||
| Abstentions | 168,393 | 33.43 | −0.76 | |||
| Registered voters | 503,743 | |||||
| Sources [23] [24] [25] | ||||||