Local elections were held in Portugal on 15 December 1985. They were the fourth local elections in Portugal since the 1976 Constitution introduced the concept of democratic local power. The elections took place just nine weeks after the 1985 legislative election and just one month before the 1986 Presidential elections.
The elections consisted of three separate elections in the 305 Portuguese municipalities that existed at the time, the election for the Municipal Chambers, another election for the Municipal Assembly and a last one for the lower-level Parish Assembly, whose winner is elected parish president, this last was held separately in the more than 4,000 parishes around the country. This election was the first to grant a 4-year term, instead of the previous 3-year terms. The number of members of the Municipal Assemblies and Parish Assemblies was greatly reduced in comparison with the former election.
For the first time, the Social Democratic Party polled first by itself, since the coalition with the Democratic and Social Center, the Democratic Alliance, that achieved good results in 1979 and 1982, had been disbanded. Despite finishing second and losing almost 4 points in share, the Socialist Party lost only 4 mayors, which included a coalition with the Leftwing Union for the Socialist Democracy.
The Democratic and Social Center, this time participating alone in every municipality, after the end of the Democratic Alliance, continued its electoral decline, gathering only 10 percent of the votes. Despite holding on to the same number of mayors achieved, by itself, in 1982, the party still lost 49 presidencies achieved in coalition with the Social Democrats.
The Portuguese Communist Party and the Portuguese Democratic Movement, united in the United People Alliance, lost one percentage point in comparison with the 1982 election and lost 8 mayors, falling to 47 presidencies. However, despite only a small drop in vote share, in the elections to Municipal Assemblies, the coalition lost almost 700 assembly members, decreasing its representation to 1,062 members due to the overall reduction of mandates.
The newly founded Democratic Renewal Party, achieved almost 5 percent of the voting and the presidency of 3 municipalities. In the elections to Municipal Assemblies it gathered almost 6% of the voting and 270 Assembly members, albeit the shares were far inferior to those achieved in the legislative election of October of the same year.
Turnout in these elections fell more than eight points compared with 1982, with 63 percent of voters casting a ballot.
Background Electoral system All 305 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.
By-elections (1982–1985) During the normal three-year term of local governments, four municipal council by-elections were held: In the municipality of Guimarães on 4 September 1983; In the municipality of Marco de Canaveses on 18 December 1983; In the municipality of São João da Madeira on 15 April 1984; In the municipality of Lamego on 29 April 1984, adding to this, sixty-four parishes also held a by-election for parish assemblies.
+City control in by-elections (1982–1985)Date Municipality Population Previous control New control4 September 1983Guimarães146,959Socialist Party (PS)Socialist Party (PS)18 December 1983Marco de Canaveses46,131Democratic and Social Center (CDS)Democratic and Social Center (CDS)15 April 1984São João da Madeira16,444Democratic Alliance (AD)Democratic and Social Center (CDS)29 April 1984Lamego32,833Social Democratic Party (PSD)Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Parties The main political forces involved in the election were:
United People Alliance (APU) Democratic and Social Center (CDS) Democratic Renewal Party (PRD) 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|±pp swing ! rowspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Candidacies ! colspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Councillors ! colspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Mayors |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9" ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Total ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|± ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Total ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|±
|align=right| 1,649,560 |align=right| 33.99 |align=right| 19.4 |align=right| 268 |align=right| 822 |align=right| 380 |align=right| 149 |align=right| 61
|align=right| 1,330,388 |align=right| 27.41 |align=right| 3.7 |align=right| 285 |align=right| 571 |align=right|57 |align=right| 79 |align=right|4
|align=right| 942,197 |align=right| 19.41 |align=right| 1.3 |align=right| 305 |align=right| 305 |align=right|20 |align=right| 47 |align=right|8
|align=right| 471,838 |align=right| 9.72 |align=right| 2.2 |align=right| 163 |align=right| 224 |align=right|33 |align=right| 27 |align=right|0
|align=right| 230,177 |align=right| 4.74 |align=right| — |align=right| 115 |align=right| 51 |align=right|— |align=right| 3 |align=right|— |- |style="width: 10px" bgcolor= align="center" | |align=left|Popular Democratic Union |align=right| 28,701 |align=right| 0.59 |align=right| 0.0 |align=right| 63 |align=right| 3 |align=right| 0 |align=right| 0 |align=right|0
|align=right| 23,897 |align=right| 0.49 |align=right| 0.3 |align=right| 6 |align=right| 3 |align=right|2 |align=right| 0 |align=right|1
|align=right| 11,275 |align=right| 0.23 |align=right| 0.1 |align=right| 32 |align=right| 0 |align=right|0 |align=right| 0 |align=right|0
|align=right| 7,863 |align=right| 0.16 |align=right| 0.1 |align=right| 5 |align=right| 2 |align=right|0 |align=right| 0 |align=right|0
|align=right| 2,311 |align=right| 0.05 |align=right| 0.0 |align=right| 3 |align=right| 0 |align=right|0 |align=right| 0 |align=right|0 |- |colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total valid |width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,698,207 |width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|96.80 |width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|0.5 |width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|— |width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|1,981 |width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|32 |width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|305 |width="45" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|0 |- |colspan=2|Blank ballots |76,607||1.58||0.2||colspan=6 rowspan=4| |- |colspan=2|Invalid ballots |78,715||1.62||0.3 |- |colspan=2 align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total |width="65" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|4,853,529 |width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|100.00 |width="40" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"| |- |colspan=2|Registered voters/turnout ||7,595,146||63.90||7.5 |- | colspan=11 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 1981 Census.
Municipality Population Previous control New control Almada 147,690 United People Alliance (APU) United People Alliance (APU) Amadora 163,878 United People Alliance (APU) United People Alliance (APU) Aveiro 60,284 Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) Barcelos 103,773 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD) Beja 38,246 United People Alliance (APU) United People Alliance (APU) Braga 125,472 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS) Bragança 35,380 Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) Cascais 141,498 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD) Castelo Branco 54,908 Democratic Alliance (AD) Social Democratic Party (PSD) Coimbra 138,930 Socialist Party (PS) Social Democratic Party (PSD) Évora 51,572 United People Alliance (APU) United People Alliance (APU) Faro 45,109 Democratic Alliance (AD) Social Democratic Party (PSD) Funchal 112,746 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD) Gondomar 130,751 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS) Guarda 40,360 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS) Guimarães 146,959 Socialist Party (PS) Social Democratic Party (PSD) Leiria 96,517 Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) Lisbon 807,937 Democratic Alliance (AD) Social Democratic Party (PSD) Loures 276,467 United People Alliance (APU) United People Alliance (APU) Matosinhos 136,498 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS) Oeiras 149,328 Democratic Alliance (AD) Social Democratic Party (PSD) Ponta Delgada 63,804 Social Democratic Party (PSD) Social Democratic Party (PSD) Portalegre 27,313 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS) Porto 327,368 Democratic Alliance (AD) Social Democratic Party (PSD) Santarém 62,896 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS) Santa Maria da Feira 109,531 Democratic Alliance (AD) Social Democratic Party (PSD) Setúbal 98,366 United People Alliance (APU) Socialist Party (PS) Sintra 226,428 Democratic Alliance (AD) Social Democratic Party (PSD) Viana do Castelo 81,009 Democratic Alliance (AD) Social Democratic Party (PSD) Vila Nova de Famalicão 106,508 Socialist Party (PS) Socialist Party (PS) Vila Nova de Gaia 226,331 Socialist Party (PS) Social Democratic Party (PSD) Vila Real 47,020 Democratic Alliance (AD) Social Democratic Party (PSD) Viseu 83,261 Social Democratic Party (PSD) 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|±pp swing ! rowspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Candidacies ! colspan="2" style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Mandates |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9" ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|Total ! style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align="center"|±
|align=right| 1,438,790 |align=right| 29.64 |align=right| 15.5 |align=right| |align=right| 2,539 |align=right| 380
|align=right| 1,170,840 |align=right| 24.12 |align=right| 6.9 |align=right| |align=right| 1,817 |align=right| 1,386
|align=right| 968,148 |align=right| 19.95 |align=right| 1.0 |align=right| |align=right| 1,062 |align=right|719
|align=right| 782,209 |align=right| 16.12 |align=right| 8.4 |align=right| |align=right| 1,019 |align=right|5
|align=right| 260,960 |align=right| 5.38 |align=right| — |align=right| |align=right| 270 |align=right| — |- |style="width: 10px" bgcolor= align="center" | |align=left|Popular Democratic Union |align=right| 33,447 |align=right| 0.69 |align=right| 0.0 |align=right| |align=right| 14 |align=right|6
|align=right| 15,927 |align=right| 0.33 |align=right| 0.1 |align=right| |align=right|7 |align=right|21
|align=right| 6,494 |align=right| 0.13 |align=right| 0.0 |align=right| |align=right| 0 |align=right| 1
|align=right| 4,026 |align=right| 0.08 |align=right| 0.1 |align=right| |align=right| 2