1934 Catalan local elections explained

Election Name:	1934 Catalan local elections
Country:	Catalonia
Type:	legislative
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1931 Spanish local elections
Previous Year:	1931
Next Election:	1979 Spanish local elections
Next Year:	1979
Seats For Election:	1,029 municipal councils
Registered:	1,666,000
Turnout:	996,000 (59.8%)
Election Date:	14 January 1934
Leader1:	Lluís Companys
Party1:	Republican Left of Catalonia
Popular Vote1:	520,000
Percentage1:	52.4
Leader2:	Francesc Cambó
Party2:	Catalan League
Color2:	3771C8
Popular Vote2:	412,000
Percentage2:	41.4
Map Size:	300px

The 1934 Catalan local elections were held on 14 January to elect the municipal councils in all the 1,029 municipalities of Catalonia. These elections were only held in Catalonia, as the 1932 Statute of Autonomy devolved the competences on local elections to the Generalitat de Catalunya.These were the first and only election to be organised by the Catalan Government, since this administration was suppressed by the Dictatorship of Francisco Franco in 1939, after winning the Spanish Civil War. The following free local elections were not held until 1979, during the transition to democracy.

Electoral system

The electoral system was determined by the Municipal Law, which was approved by the Parliament of Catalonia in August 1933. The elections were scheduled to be held in November 1933, but they were delayed to January in order not to interfere with the 1933 general election.The municipal council seats of all the 1,029 municipalities of Catalonia were up for election. The population-seat relationship on each municipality was to be established on the following scale:^[1]

Population	Seats
<500	5
501–1,000	6
1,001–1,500	7
1,501–2,000	8
2,001–2,500	9
2,501–3,000	10
3,001–5,000	12
5,001–10,000	16
10,001–20,000	18
>20,000	24
Barcelona	40

All the councillors were elected in single multi-member districts, consisting of the municipality's territory, using closed lists. The allocation of seats depended on the population:^[1]

In municipalities under 10,000 inhabitants: the winning list obtained two-thirds to four-fifths of the seats in the council, the second party obtained the remaining seats.
In municipalities over 10,000 inhabitants: the winning list obtained 65% of the seats in the council, the second party obtained the 65% of the remaining seats, the third party obtained the 65% of the remaining seats and so on. If at the end there were still unfilled seats, these would be won by the last party having received a seat.

The mayors were elected on the first plenary session by the councillors. Candidates obtaining an absolute majority on a first or second round were elected. If none of the candidates had achieved an absolute majority, a third round would have been held, where the candidate with plurality would be elected.^[1]

Results

Overall

← Summary of 14 January 1934 local election results →
Parties and coalitions			Votes	%
		Left-wing coalitions	311,000	31.2
		Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC)	182,000	18.3
		Other left-wing lists	29,000	2.9
Republican left			520,000	52.4
		Catalan League (LC)	244,000	24.5
		Right-wing coalitions	147,000	14.8
		Other right-wing lists	21,000	2.1
Right-wing parties			412,000	41.4
	Radical Republican Party (PRR)		31,000	3.1
	Workers and Peasants' Bloc (BOC)		11,000	1.1
	Catalan Republican Action (ACR)		10,000	1.0
	Other		9,000	0.9
Blank votes			1,000	0.1

Total			996,000	100.0

Votes cast / turnout			996,000	59.8
Abstentions			670,000	40.2
Registered voters			1,666,000

Source:^[2]

Turnout was 59.8%, lower than the 1931 elections, but similar to the 1933 general election.The highest abstention rates were found in towns across the Pyrenees. The left-wing parties got a majority of votes, specially in Penedès and in the metropolitan area of Barcelona.The right-wing parties made their best results in Solsonès, Segarra and Alt Urgell, and they won in cities like Girona, Vic, Olot or El Vendrell.^[2]

Juditial district capitals

See also: Barcelona City Council election, 1934. Vote share

In the following table, background-coloured rows indicate the winning list in a municipality.

Municipality	BOC	ERC	Left coal.	Other left	ACR	PRR	LC	Right coal.	Other right
Municipality
Arenys de Mar		12.0			8.0	27.0	53.0
Badalona	3.1		52.6					44.3
Balaguer	10.7	45.6					43.8
Barcelona	1.1		50.3	0.2		6.5	41.3		0.6
Berga			52.8					47.2
Cervera		40.6					59.4
El Vendrell	30.5		30.6					38.9
Falset			33.4					66.6
Figueres	1.7	60.1		1.8		8.5	27.5
Gandesa		46.2					53.8
Girona	2.0	44.6			4.5	2.0		45.1	1.8
Granollers		24.3			35.4	26.3	14.0
Igualada			51.6			2.8		45.6
La Bisbal d'Empordà		54.6						45.4
La Seu d'Urgell		42.7						57.3
Les Borges Blanques	6.7	58.3						35.0
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat	0.6		50.3	9.7		5.3	34.1
Lleida	5.1		55.0					39.9
Manresa	0.3		53.5					46.1
Mataró			53.3					46.7
Montblanc			58.0				42.0
Olot			41.5		16.3			42.2
Puigcerdà			46.3					53.7
Reus	1.6		43.7		32.0		22.7
Sabadell			55.4	0.7		3.9	37.0
Sant Feliu de Llobregat		53.1		3.2	19.5			24.2
Santa Coloma de Farners		46.1		8.1			45.8
Solsona		25.4						74.6
Sort		49.1						50.9
Tarragona			53.3	7.2				36.4
Terrassa	2.3		52.5					45.2	3.0
Tortosa			59.9					40.1
Tremp		51.4						48.6
Valls			52.3					47.7
Vic	1.1		33.3		7.1	1.1		57.4
Vielha			?					?
Vilafranca del Penedès			51.2					48.8
Vilanova i la Geltrú	4.5		63.4				32.1
Source:^[3]

Elected councillors by political party

In the following table, background-coloured rows indicate the ruling parties in a municipality.

Municipality	Total	BOC	PSOE	USC	ERC	Other left	ACR	PRDF	PRR	LC	CT	Other right
Municipality	Total
Arenys de Mar	16								5	11
Badalona	24			3	10	2	1		2	4	2
Balaguer	16				11					5
Barcelona	40			3	17	2	4		4	10
Berga	16				9	2				5
Cervera	12				4					8
El Vendrell	12				2	2						8
Falset	10					3						7
Figueres	18				12							6
Gandesa	12				4					8
Girona	24				6	1				10	6	1
Granollers	18				2		12		4
Igualada	18				10		2			6
La Bisbal d'Empordà	12				8							4
La Seu d'Urgell	12				4							8
Les Borges Blanques	12				8							4
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat	24				13	2		1		8
Lleida	24		1		12	2	1		2	3		3
Manresa	24			2	10		2	2	2	4	2
Mataró	24		1	4	9	2			1	6	1
Montblanc	12	4			4					4
Olot	18	1			3		2			9		3
Puigcerdà	10		3							2		5
Reus	24		6	3	7		6			2
Sabadell	24			1	5			10		8
Sant Feliu de Llobregat	16				11					2	2	1
Santa Coloma de Farners	12				8					4
Solsona	12				4							8
Sort	6				2							4
Tarragona	24		4		4		4	4	1	1		6
Terrassa	24				12	2		2	1	3	1	3
Tortosa	24		2		1	12	1			3	5
Tremp	10				7							3
Valls	18	1		3	7	1				3	2	1
Vic	18	1		1	4					8	4
Vielha	6				2							4
Vilafranca del Penedès	16				6		1	4	2	1		2
Vilanova i la Geltrú	18			2	6	4				6
Source:

External links

1934 local elections in Catalonia

Notes and References

http://dogc.gencat.cat/web/.content/continguts/serveis/republica/1933/19330079.pdf Llei Municipal. DOGC 15 d'agost de 1933
https://issuu.com/municipals1934/docs/1934_municipals_04 Les eleccions municipals de 1934 a Catalunya. Capítol 4. Les eleccions municipals del 14 de gener de 1934: una visió de conjunt»
https://issuu.com/municipals1934/docs/2-1_resultats_en_percentatge_v2 Les eleccions municipals de 1934 a Catalunya. Apèndix 2. Eleccions municipals de 1934. Participació i resultats per municipi».