Local elections were held in Portugal on Sunday, 12 December 1976. 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. These elections ended a cycle of three elections in 1976, after the legislative election in April and the Presidential election in June.
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.
Before election day, Prime Minister Mário Soares suggested that if the Socialist Party (PS) achieved weak results, his cabinet would consider resigning. 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.
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.
Electoral system All 304 municipalities are allocated a certain number of councilors to elect corresponding to the number of registered voters in a given municipality. Each party or coalition must present a list of candidates. The winner of the most voted list for the municipal council is automatically elected mayor, similar to first-past-the-post (FPTP). The lists are closed and the seats in each municipality are apportioned according to the D'Hondt method.Eleição dos titulares dos órgãos das autarquias locais. Diário da República (in Portuguese.) Retrieved 17 July 2025.
Parties The main political forces involved in the election:
Democratic and Social Center (CDS) Electoral Front United People (FEPU)
Groups for the Dinamization of the People's Unity (GDUPs) Socialist Party (PS) Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Results
Municipal Councils 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|Candidacies ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Councillors ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Mayors |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9" ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Total ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Total
|align=right| 1,386,362 |align=right| 33.24 |align=right| 296 |align=right| 691 |align=right| 115
|align=right| 1,012,351 |align=right| 24.27 |align=right| 261 |align=right| 623 |align=right| 115
|align=right| 737,586 |align=right| 17.69 |align=right| 287 |align=right| 267 |align=right| 37
|align=right| 692,869 |align=right| 16.61 |align=right| 243 |align=right| 317 |align=right| 36 |- |style="width: 10px" bgcolor=red align="center" | |align=left|GDUPs |align=right| 104,629 |align=right| 2.51 |align=right| 77 |align=right| 5 |align=right| 0
|align=right| 27,399 |align=right| 0.66 |align=right| 58 |align=right| 0 |align=right| 0
|align=right| 15,264 |align=right| 0.37 |align=right| 26 |align=right| 0 |align=right| 0
|align=right| 7,507 |align=right| 0.18 |align=right| 10 |align=right| 3 |align=right| 1
|align=right| 3,411 |align=right| 0.08 |align=right| 13 |align=right| 0 |align=right| 0
|align=right| 282 |align=right| 0.03 |align=right| 1 |align=right| 0 |align=right| 0 |- |colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total valid |width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|3,987,660 |width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|95.61 |width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|— |width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|1,906 |width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|304 |- |colspan=2|Blank ballots |89,544||2.15||colspan=6 rowspan=4| |- |colspan=2|Invalid ballots |93,290||2.24 |- |colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total |width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,170,494 |width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|100.00 |- |colspan=2|Registered voters/turnout ||6,457,440||64.55 |- | colspan=7 align=left | Source:
Municipality map
City control The following table lists party control in all district capitals, highlighted in bold, as well as in municipalities above 100,000 inhabitants. Population estimates from the 1970 Census.
Municipality Population New control Almada 107,575Electoral Front United People (FEPU) Aveiro 49,808 Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) Beja 36,384 Electoral Front United People (FEPU) Braga 96,918 Socialist Party (PS) Bragança 33,070 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Cascais 92,907 Socialist Party (PS) Castelo Branco 55,195 Socialist Party (PS) Coimbra 110,553 Socialist Party (PS) Évora 47,244 Electoral Front United People (FEPU) Faro 30,973 Socialist Party (PS) Funchal 101,810 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Gondomar 105,075 Socialist Party (PS) Guarda 39,741 Socialist Party (PS) Guimarães 122,719 Socialist Party (PS) Leiria 80,241 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Lisbon 769,044 Socialist Party (PS) Loures 166,167 Socialist Party (PS) Matosinhos 109,225 Socialist Party (PS) Oeiras 180,194 Socialist Party (PS) Ponta Delgada 67,975 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Portalegre 25,800 Socialist Party (PS) Porto 301,655 Socialist Party (PS) Santarém 56,440 Socialist Party (PS) Setúbal 65,230 Socialist Party (PS) Sintra 124,893 Socialist Party (PS) Viana do Castelo 70,455 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Vila Nova de Gaia 180,875 Socialist Party (PS) Vila Real 44,550 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Viseu 73,010 Democratic and Social Centre (CDS)
Municipal Assemblies 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|Candidacies ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Mandates |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9" ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Total
|align=right| 1,389,980 |align=right| 33.33 |align=right| 291 |align=right| 1,701
|align=right| 1,021,192 |align=right| 24.49 |align=right| 261 |align=right| 1,659
|align=right| 756,337 |align=right| 18.14 |align=right| 285 |align=right| 674
|align=right| 685,528 |align=right| 16.44 |align=right| 218 |align=right| 1,048 |- |style="width: 10px" bgcolor=red align="center" | |align=left|GDUPs |align=right| 105,713 |align=right| 2.54 |align=right| 65 |align=right| 45
|align=right| 5,033 |align=right| 0.12 |align=right| 10 |align=right| 0
|align=right| 3,694 |align=right| 0.09 |align=right| 3 |align=right| 3
|align=right| 2,648 |align=right| 0.06 |align=right| 2 |align=right| 0
|align=right| 1,183 |align=right| 0.03 |align=right| 3 |align=right| 0
|align=right| 169 |align=right| 0.00 |align=right| 1 |align=right| 0 |- |colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total valid |width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|3,971,477 |width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|95.24 |width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|— |width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|5,130 |- |colspan=2|Blank ballots |104,146||2.50||colspan=6 rowspan=4| |- |colspan=2|Invalid ballots |94,394||2.26 |- |colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total |width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,170,017 |width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|100.00 |- |colspan=2|Registered voters/turnout ||6,457,440||64.55 |- | colspan=6 align=left | Source:
Parish Assemblies 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|Candidacies ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Mandates ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Presidents |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9" ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Total ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Total
|align=right| 1,349,191 |align=right| 33.21 |align=right| 2,510 |align=right| 8,364 |align=right| 1,104
|align=right| 996,834 |align=right| 24.54 |align=right| 2,662 |align=right| 9,054 |align=right| 1,255
|align=right| 637,442 |align=right| 15.69 |align=right| 1,115 |align=right| 2,328 |align=right| 197
|align=right| 620,110 |align=right| 15.26 |align=right| 2,062 |align=right| 5,086 |align=right| 533 |- |style="width: 8px" bgcolor=gray align="center" | |align=left|Independents |align=right| 161,646 |align=right| 3.98 |align=right| 135 |align=right| 1,216 |align=right| 130 |- |style="width: 10px" bgcolor=red align="center" | |align=left|GDUPs |align=right| 92,812 |align=right| 2.28 |align=right| 77 |align=right| 102 |align=right| 2
|align=right| 13,715 |align=right| 0.34 |align=right| 106 |align=right| 2 |align=right| 0
|align=right| 1,646 |align=right| 0.04 |align=right| 8 |align=right| 3 |align=right| 0
|align=right| 1,134 |align=right| 0.03 |align=right| 6 |align=right| 10 |align=right| 1
|align=right| 153 |align=right| 0.00 |align=right| 2 |align=right| 0 |align=right| 0 |- |colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total valid |width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|3,874,173 |width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|95.37 |width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|— |width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|26,268 |width="50" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|3,222 |- |colspan=2|Blank ballots |90,152||2.22||colspan=6 rowspan=4| |- |colspan=2|Invalid ballots |97,766||2.41 |- |colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total |width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,062,631 |width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|100.00 |- |colspan=2|Registered voters/turnout ||6,289,042||64.60 |- | colspan=7 align=left | Source:
Maps
Notes
Electoral Front United People (FEPU) was composed by the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), the Portuguese Democratic Movement (MDP/CDE) and the People's Socialist Front (FSP). The number of candidacies expresses the number of municipalities or parishes in which the party or coalition presented lists. The number of mandates expresses the number of municipal deputies in the Municipal Assembly election and the number of parish deputies in the Parish Assembly election. The turnout varies because one may choose not to vote for all the organs.
See also Politics of Portugal List of political parties in Portugal Elections in Portugal
References
External links Comissão Nacional de Eleições