1985 Galician regional election explained

Election Name:1985 Galician regional election
Country:Galicia
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1981 Galician regional election
Previous Year:1981
Next Election:1989 Galician regional election
Next Year:1989
Seats For Election:All 71 seats in the Parliament of Galicia
Majority Seats:36
Opinion Polls:
  1. Opinion polls
Registered:2,226,449 2.4%
Turnout:1,277,897 (57.4%)
11.1 pp
Election Date:24 November 1985
Leader1:Gerardo Fernández Albor
Party1:AP–PDP–PLCdG
Leader Since1:1981
Leaders Seat1:La Coruña
Color1:3282A8
Last Election1:26 seats, 30.5%
Seats1:34
Seat Change1:8
Popular Vote1:516,218
Percentage1:40.9%
Swing1:10.4 pp
Leader2:Fernando González Laxe
Party2:PSdG–PSOE
Color2:EF1C27
Leader Since2:19 June 1985
Leaders Seat2:La Coruña
Last Election2:16 seats, 19.6%
Seats2:22
Seat Change2:6
Popular Vote2:361,946
Percentage2:28.7%
Swing2:9.1 pp
Leader3:Pablo González Mariñas
Party3:Galician Coalition
Leader Since3:23 July 1985
Leaders Seat3:La Coruña
Last Election3:Did not contest
Seats3:11
Seat Change3:11
Popular Vote3:163,425
Percentage3:12.9%
Swing3:New party
Leader4:Camilo Nogueira
Party4:Galician Socialist Party–Galician Left
Leader Since4:1980
Leaders Seat4:Pontevedra
Last Election4:1 seat, 3.4%
Seats4:3
Seat Change4:2
Popular Vote4:71,599
Percentage4:5.7%
Swing4:2.3 pp
Leader5:Xosé Manuel Beiras
Party5:Galician Nationalist Bloc
Leader Since5:1982
Leaders Seat5:La Coruña
Last Election5:3 seats, 6.3%
Seats5:1
Seat Change5:2
Popular Vote5:53,072
Percentage5:4.2%
Swing5:2.1 pp
Map Size:350px
President
Before Election:Gerardo Fernández Albor
Before Party:AP–PDP–PL–CdG
After Election:Gerardo Fernández Albor
After Party:AP–PDP–PL–CdG

The 1985 Galician regional election was held on Sunday, 24 November 1985, to elect the 2nd Parliament of the autonomous community of Galicia. All 71 seats in the Parliament were up for election.

Overview

Electoral system

The Parliament of Galicia was the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of Galicia, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Galician Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a regional president.[1] Voting for the Parliament was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered in Galicia and in full enjoyment of their political rights.

The 71 members of the Parliament of Galicia were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with an electoral threshold of three percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each constituency. Seats were allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the provinces of La Coruña, Lugo, Orense and Pontevedra, with each being allocated a fixed number of seats:[1] [2]

SeatsConstituencies
22La Coruña
19Pontevedra
15Lugo, Orense

The use of the D'Hondt method might result in a higher effective threshold, depending on the district magnitude.[3]

The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, coalitions and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form a coalition 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 at least one percent of the electorate in the constituencies for which they sought election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates.[2] [4]

Election date

The term of the Parliament of Galicia expired four years after the date of its previous election. The election decree was required to be issued no later than the twenty-fifth day prior to the date of expiry of parliament and published on the following day in the Official Journal of Galicia (DOG), with election day taking place between the fifty-fourth and the sixtieth day from publication. The previous election was held on 20 October 1981, which meant that the legislature's term would have expired on 20 October 1985. The election decree was required to be published in the DOG no later than 26 September 1985, with the election taking place up to the sixtieth day from publication, setting the latest possible election date for the Parliament on Monday, 25 November 1985.[1] [2] [4]

The Parliament of Galicia could not be dissolved before the date of expiry of parliament except in the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional president within a two-month period from the first ballot. In such a case, the Parliament was to be automatically dissolved and a snap election called.[5]

Opinion polls

The table below lists voting intention estimates 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. When available, seat projections determined by the polling organisations are displayed below (or in place of) the percentages in a smaller font; 36 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Parliament of Galicia.

Results

Overall

← Summary of the 24 November 1985 Parliament of Galicia election results →
Parties and alliancesPopular voteSeats
Votes%±ppTotal+/−
People's Coalition (APPDPPLCdG)1516,218 40.89 +10.3734 +8
Socialists' Party of Galicia (PSdG–PSOE)361,946 28.67 +9.0522 +6
Galician Coalition (CG)163,425 12.94 New11 +11
Galician Socialist Party–Galician Left (PSG–EG)271,599 5.67 +2.273 +2
Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG)353,072 4.20 –2.071 –2
Democratic and Social Centre (CDS)41,411 3.28 New0 ±0
Communist Party of Galicia (PCE–PCG)10,625 0.84 –2.090 –1
Workers' Socialist Party (PST)9,689 0.77 –1.080 ±0
Communist Party of Galicia (Revolutionary Marxist) (PCG (m–r))8,318 0.66 New0 ±0
Humanist Platform (PH)7,280 0.58 New0 ±0
Galician Party of the Country (PGC)3,172 0.25 New0 ±0
Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (FE–JONS)2,922 0.23 +0.080 ±0
Communist Party of Spain (Marxist–Leninist) (PCE (m–l))1,554 0.12 ±0.000 ±0
Galician Socialist Unity (USG)1,379 0.11 –1.180 ±0
Communist Movement of Galicia (MCG)1,327 0.11 –0.380 ±0
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)n/a n/a –27.800 –24
Blank ballots8,627 0.68 +0.68
Total1,262,564 71 ±0
Valid votes1,262,564 98.80 +0.79
Invalid votes15,333 1.20 –0.79
Votes cast / turnout1,277,897 57.40 +11.12
Abstentions948,552 42.60 –11.12
Registered voters2,226,449
Sources[12] [13]

Distribution by constituency

ConstituencyCPPSdGCGPSG–EGBNG
data-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"Sdata-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"Sdata-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"Sdata-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"Sdata-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"S
La Coruña38.01032.389.925.715.21
Lugo44.9824.4420.432.03.3
Orense40.1725.7422.843.03.0
Pontevedra43.0927.468.928.623.9
Total40.93428.72212.9115.734.21
Sources

Aftermath

Government formation

Investiture
Gerardo Fernández Albor (AP)
Ballot →16 January 198617 January 1986
Required majority →36 out of 71 Simple
Abstentions
Absentees
Sources
Investiture
Gerardo Fernández Albor (AP)
Ballot →20 February 198621 February 1986
Required majority →36 out of 71 Simple
Sources

1987 motion of no confidence

Motion of no confidence
Fernando González Laxe (PSdG)
Ballot →23 September 1987
Required majority →36 out of 71
Absentees
Sources

References

Opinion poll sources
Other

Notes and References

  1. Ley Orgánica 1/1981, de 6 de abril, de Estatuto de Autonomía para Galicia] ]. Organic Law . 1 . es . 6 April 1981 . 8 August 2017.
  2. Ley 8/1985, de 13 de agosto, de elecciones al Parlamento de Galicia . Law . 2 . es . 13 August 1985 . 8 August 2017.
  3. Web site: Gallagher . Michael . 30 July 2012 . Effective threshold in electoral systems . https://web.archive.org/web/20170730092518/http://www.tcd.ie/Political_Science/staff/michael_gallagher/ElSystems/Docts/effthresh.php . dead . 30 July 2017 . Trinity College, Dublin . 22 July 2017.
  4. Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General . Organic Law . 5 . es . 19 June 1985 . 28 December 2016.
  5. Ley 1/1983, de 22 de febrero, de normas reguladoras de la Xunta y su Presidencia . Law . 1 . es . 22 February 1983 . 8 August 2017.
  6. Web site: Coalición Popular será la fuerza más votada, pero no tiene segura la mayoría absoluta, según un sondeo de EL PAÍS . es . El País . 18 November 1985.
  7. Web site: Coalición Popular roza la mayoría absoluta, según un sondeo de EL PAÍS . es . El País . 18 November 1985.
  8. Web site: Coalición Popular podrá obtener mayoría absoluta en las elecciones del domingo en Galicia . es . ABC . 17 November 1985.
  9. Web site: Coalicion Popular, al borde de la mayoría absoluta en las elecciones gallegas, según un sondeo de EL PAÍS . es . El País . 10 November 1985.
  10. Web site: Coalición Popular obtendría ahora mayoría absoluta, según la encuesta realizada para la CEOE . es . ABC . 25 August 1985.
  11. Web site: Alianza Popular relanza la convocatoria de mayoría natural, con el centro y la derecha . es . ABC Sevilla . 15 January 1985.
  12. Web site: Elecciones al Parlamento de Galicia (1981 - 2020) . es . Historia Electoral.com . 25 September 2017.
  13. Web site: Parliament of Galicia election results, 24 November 1985 . 17 January 1986 . es . www.juntaelectoralcentral.es . Electoral Commission of Galicia . 25 September 2017.