Cantonale elections to renew canton general councillors were held in France on 10 and 17 March 1985. The left, in power since 1981, lost 10 departments. As a result, the right controlled 69 out of 95 departments.
The cantonales elections use the same system as the regional or legislative elections. There is a 10% threshold (10% of registered voters) needed to proceed to the second round.
Runoff results missing
| Party/Alliance | % (first round) | Seats | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS | 24.90% | 413 | ||
| UDF | 18.10% | 519 | ||
| RPR | 16.60% | 390 | ||
| Miscellaneous Right | 14.40% | 399 | ||
| PCF | 12.50% | 139 | ||
| FN | 8.90% | 2 | ||
| Miscellaneous Left | 1.80% | 33 | ||
| MRG | 1.50% | 57 | ||
| Ecologists | 0.80% | 2 | ||
| Far-Left | 0.60% | 0 | ||
Alain Lancelot, Les élections sous la Ve République, PUF, Paris, 1988