1931 Barcelona City Council election

The 1931 Barcelona City Council election was held on Sunday, 12 April 1931, to elect the Barcelona City Council, the unicameral local legislature of the municipality of Barcelona. This was the first free election after the Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. At stake were all 50 seats in the City Council, determining the Mayor of Barcelona. The election was perceived as a plebiscite on Spanish Monarchy. The results lead to the Second Spanish Republic.

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: 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, but not enforced, 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.

Results + ← Summary of the 12 April 1931 Barcelona City Council election results → Party Vote Seats Votes % ±pp Won +/− Republican Left (ERC-USC) 42,762 30,74 − 25 − Regionalist League (LR) 30,056 21.61 − 12 − Republican-Socialist Coalition (PRR-PSOE) 28,561 20.53 − 12 − Autonomous Republicans (Rep.A) 5,322 3.83 − 1 − Republican Catalan Action (ACR) 18,132 13.04 − 0 − Spanish Patriotic Union (UP) 3,952 2.84 − 0 − Liberal Party (PL) 2,445 1.76 − 0 − Independents 2,356 1.69 − 0 − Dissident radicals (Rad.D) 2,270 1.63 − 0 − Workers and Peasants' Bloc (BOC) 1,707 1.23 − 0 − Traditionalist Communion (TC) 1,216 0.87 − 0 − Social Republican (Rep.S) 187 0.13 − 0 − Radio Communist (Com.Rad) 129 0.09 − 0 − Total 139,095 100.00 50 − Source: La Veu de Catalunya, 14/04/1931 p. 4

Results by district Constituency ERC-USC LR PRR-PSOE ACR Other monarchists Rep.A Other republicans Indep. % S % S % S % S % S % S % S % S I Barceloneta−Ciutat Vella 21.0 − 30.4 3 30.3 2 14.1 − 0.0 − 3.1 − 1.2 − 0.0 − II Poble-sec−Montjuïc 36.5 3 13.9 − 28.0 2 12.9 − 8.3 − 0.0 − 0.4 − 0.0 − III Les Corts−Sarrià 23.9 1 29.7 2 7.7 − 23.0 − 14.0 − 0.0 − 0.1 − 1.7 − IV Dreta de l'Eixample 24.3 2 30.4 4 13.3 − 16.1 − 9.9 − 0.8 − 5.2 − 0.0 − V Raval 28.9 4 13.6 − 22.3 2 14.3 − 4.4 − 0.1 − 16.4 − 0.0 − VI Esquerra de l'Eixample 33.1 3 28.0 1 12.4 − 17.2 − 7.0 − 2.2 − 0.0 − 0.0 − VII Hostafrancs−Sants 41.8 4 12.5 − 21.9 2 9.9 − 2.0 − 1.4 − 1.9 − 8.5 − VIII Gràcia 33.0 3 24.7 2 22.3 − 13.2 − 4.2 − 1.2 − 0.2 − 1.3 − IX Sant Andreu−Horta 36.7 4 13.6 − 14.9 1 7.6 − 8.2 − 17.9 1 1.0 − 0.0 − X Sant Martí 24.3 1 24.3 − 29.1 3 7.0 − 0.0 − 9.5 − 0.6 − 5.2 − Total 30.7 25 21.6 12 20.5 12 13.0 − 5.5 − 3.8 1 3.1 − 1.7 −

Councillors elected Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC-USC) Jaume Aguadé i Miró Amadeu Aragay i Daví Josep Armengol de Llano Josep Bertran de Quintaua Rafael Campalaus i Puig Joan Casanellas Joan Casanovas i Maristany Pere Comas i Calvet Lluís Companys i Jover Francesc Costa i Martin Josep Duran i Guàrdia Josep Escofet i Andreu Joan Lluhí i Vallescà Ramon Marlés i Fanés Miquel Ollé i Jové Domènec Pla i Blanco Lluís Puig i Monné Enric Sànchez i Silva Jaume Vàchier i Pallé Salvador Vallverdú i Parxachs Joaquim Ventalló i Vergés Ernest Ventós i Casadevall Antoni Vilalta i Vidal Jaume Vinyals i Garrich Joaquim Xirau i Palau Regionalist League (LR) Josep Alomar i Estadas Frederic Amat i Arnau Joan Antoni Güell i Lòpez Andreu Bausili i Sanromà Frederic Brasó i Villaret Josep Cabré i Gelabert Martí Casals i Galceran Ferran de Sagarra i de Castellarnau Amadeu Llopart i Vilalta Josep Nonell i Pujol Joaquim Pellicena i Camacho Francesc Puig i Alfonso Republican-Socialist Coalition (PRR-PSOE) Felip de Solà i Cañizares Joan Domènech i Buscà Casimir Giralt i Bullich Joan Grisó i Descàrrega Frederic Herèdia i Valls Pere Huguet i Puigderrajols Josep Jové i Sarroca Mateu Ruiz i Morlan Pere Salvat i Pie Josep Samblancat i Salanova Jesús Ulled i Altemir Abel Velilla i Sarazola Autonomous Republican (Rep.A) Manuel Santamaria i Gonzàlez

References