Local elections were held in Spain on 26 May 1991 to elect all 66,308 councillors in the 8,060 Spanish municipalities, all 1,185 provincial seats in 41 provinces (including 38 indirectly-elected provincial deputations and the three foral deputations in the Basque Country) and 198 seats in ten island councils (seven Canarian and three Balearic ones). They were held concurrently with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities.

Overview Local government

Under the 1978 Constitution, the governance of municipalities in Spain was centered on the figure of city councils (), local corporations with independent legal personality composed of a mayor, a government council and an elected legislative assembly.; . The mayor was indirectly elected by the local assembly, requiring an absolute majority; otherwise, the candidate from the most-voted party automatically became mayor (ties were resolved by drawing lots).; . The concejo abierto system (), under which voters directly elected the local mayor by plurality voting, was reserved for municipalities under 100 inhabitants and some minor local entities.; .

Provincial deputations were the governing bodies of provinces in Spain—except for single-province autonomous communities—having an administration role of municipal activities and composed of a provincial president, an administrative body, and a plenary.; . For insular provinces, such as the Balearic and Canary Islands, deputations were replaced by island councils in each of the islands or group of islands. For Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, La Gomera, El Hierro, Lanzarote and La Palma, this figure was referred to in Spanish as cabildo insular, whereas for Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza–Formentera, its name was consejo insular ().; . The three Basque provinces had foral deputations instead (called General Assemblies, or Juntas Generales).; ; .

Date The term of local assemblies in Spain expired four years after the date of their previous election, with amendments earlier in 1991 fixing election day for the fourth Sunday of May every four years. The election decree was required to be issued between 54 and 60 days before the scheduled election date and published on the following day in the Official State Gazette (BOE).. The previous local elections were held on 10 June 1987, setting the date for election day on the fourth Sunday of May four years later, which was 26 May 1991.

Local assemblies could not be dissolved before the expiration of their term, except in cases of mismanagement that seriously harmed the public interest and implied a breach of constitutional obligations, in which case the Council of Ministers could—optionally—decide to call a by-election..

Elections to the assemblies of local entities were officially called on 2 April 1991 with the publication of the corresponding decree in the BOE, setting election day for 26 May.. Subsequent by-elections were called on 10 September, for 3 November.

Electoral system Voting for local assemblies and Canarian island councils was based on universal suffrage, comprising all Spanish nationals over 18 years of age, registered and residing in the municipality or council and with full political rights (provided that they had not been deprived of the right to vote by a final sentence, nor were legally incapacitated), as well as resident non-nationals whose country of origin allowed reciprocal voting by virtue of a treaty or within the framework of Community Law.; ; .

Local councillors were elected using the D'Hondt method and closed-list proportional voting, with a five percent-threshold of valid votes (including blank ballots) in each constituency.. Each municipality or council was a multi-member constituency, with a number of seats based on the following scale:.

Population Councillors Municipalities Canary Islands Balearic Islands <250 5 No island below 5,000inhabitants Fixed number:Ibiza–Formentera: 13Menorca: 13Mallorca: 33 251–1,000 7 1,001–2,000 9 2,001–5,000 11 5,001–10,000 13 11 10,001–20,000 17 13 20,001–50,000 21 17 50,001–100,000 25 21 >100,001 +1 per each 100,000 inhabitants or fraction+1 if total is an even number

Councillors in municipalities between 100 and 250 inhabitants were elected using open-list partial block voting, with voters choosing up to four candidates..

Most provincial deputations were indirectly elected from among the elected municipal councillors in each judicial district. Seats were allocated to provincial deputations based on the following scale (with each judicial district being assigned an initial minimum of one seat and the remaining ones distributed in proportion to population):.

Population Seats <500,000 25 500,001–1,000,000 27 1,000,001–3,500,000 31 >3,500,001 51

The General Assemblies of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa were directly elected by voters under their own, specific electoral regulations..

The law did not provide for by-elections to fill vacant seats; instead, any vacancies arising after the proclamation of candidates and during the legislative term were filled by the next candidates on the party lists or, when required, by designated substitutes..

Parties and candidates The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, alliances and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form an alliance were required to inform the relevant electoral commission within 10 days of the election call, whereas groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of a determined amount of the electors registered in the municipality for which they sought election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list:.

At least one percent of the electors in municipalities with a population below 5,000 inhabitants, provided that the number of signers was more than double that of councillors at stake. At least 100 signatures in municipalities with a population between 5,001 and 10,000. At least 500 signatures in municipalities with a population between 10,001 and 50,000. At least 1,500 signatures in municipalities with a population between 50,001 and 150,000. At least 3,000 signatures in municipalities with a population between 150,001 and 300,000. At least 5,000 signatures in municipalities with a population between 300,001 and 1,000,000. At least 8,000 signatures in municipalities with a population over 1,000,001.

Results Municipal Overall + ← Summary of the 26 May 1991 Spanish municipal election results → Parties and alliances Popular vote Councillors Votes % ±pp Total +/− Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) 7,224,242 38.34 +1.26 25,260 +2,019 People's Party (PP) 4,843,733 25.71 +3.16 19,543 +1,674 People's Party (PP)1 4,775,051 25.34 +3.01 19,298 +1,563 Navarrese People's Union (UPN) 68,682 0.36 +0.14 245 +111 United Left (IU) 1,605,285 8.52 +0.28 2,644 −37 United Left (IU) 1,500,978 7.97 +0.19 2,531 −66 Canarian Initiative (ICAN)2 78,119 0.41 −0.05 83 −1 Canarian Nationalist Assembly (ACN) 26,188 0.14 New 30 +30 Convergence and Union (CiU) 915,464 4.86 −0.29 4,360 −13 Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) 731,331 3.88 −5.89 2,939 −3,033 Andalusian Party (PA) 342,927 1.82 +0.68 540 +246 Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) 299,840 1.59 +0.35 993 +174 Popular Unity (HB) 199,090 1.06 −0.17 701 +32 Valencian Union (UV) 187,385 0.99 +0.23 335 +120 Canarian Independent Groups (AIC) 142,561 0.76 +0.06 284 +43 Tenerife Group of Independents (ATI) 110,274 0.59 −0.03 178 +5 Lanzarote Independents Party (PIL)3 11,078 0.06 +0.05 45 +29 La Palma Group of Independents (API) 9,821 0.05 −0.01 44 −2 Independents of Gran Canaria (IGC) 6,599 0.04 New 5 +5 Independents of Fuerteventura (IF) 2,593 0.01 ±0.00 9 +3 Independent Realejeran Group (ARI) 2,196 0.01 New 3 +3 Basque Solidarity (EA) 131,384 0.70 −0.36 393 −104 Aragonese Party (PAR) 128,025 0.68 +0.02 1,221 +325 Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) 107,932 0.57 +0.26 241 +102 Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) 92,003 0.49 +0.10 228 +40 The Greens (LV) 82,361 0.44 +0.34 5 +3 Union for the Progress of Cantabria (UPCA) 71,683 0.38 New 285 +285 Basque Country Left (EE) 71,382 0.38 −0.17 105 −52 Valencian People's Union (UPV) 54,951 0.29 +0.14 92 +27 Galician Nationalist Convergence (CG–CdG)4 52,196 0.28 −0.48 137 −470 Galician Socialist Party–Galician Left (PSG–EG) 39,116 0.21 −0.08 46 −14 Left Proposal–Party of the Communists of Catalonia (PEC–PCC) 30,802 0.16 New 25 +25 The Greens Ecologist–Humanist List (PH–LE–FV) 25,136 0.13 −0.02 0 ±0 The Greens Ecologist–Humanist List (LVLE–H)5 16,408 0.09 −0.04 0 ±0 The Ecologists (LE) 8,495 0.05 New 0 ±0 Humanist Party (PH) 233 0.00 New 0 ±0 Ruiz-Mateos Group (ARM) 23,404 0.12 New 0 ±0 Independent Solution (SI)6 21,951 0.12 −0.01 61 −9 Alavese Unity (UA) 21,269 0.11 New 39 +39 Socialist Party of Mallorca–Nationalists of Mallorca (PSM–NM) 20,981 0.11 +0.05 54 +29 Liberal Independent Group (GIL) 20,531 0.11 New 19 +19 Regionalist Party of Cantabria (PRC) 18,966 0.10 −0.04 69 −31 Regional Electoral Coalition (PCAN–PRM)7 16,180 0.09 −0.05 12 +2 Gijonese Unity (UGJ) 13,127 0.07 New 3 +3 Workers' Socialist Party (PST) 11,366 0.06 +0.05 0 ±0 Asturian Coalition (PAS–UNA)8 10,891 0.06 +0.04 6 +4 Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (FE–JONS) 10,829 0.06 −0.04 11 +5 Aragonese Union (CHA) 10,196 0.05 +0.03 16 +14 Independent Union of Majorca–Independents of Majorca (UIM–IM) 10,159 0.05 New 21 +21 Green Union (UVE–LVA) 9,943 0.05 New 0 ±0 Leonese People's Union (UPL) 9,595 0.05 +0.03 28 +15 Progress and Future of Ceuta (PFC) 9,420 0.05 New 11 +11 Granadan Unity (UG) 9,333 0.05 New 53 +53 Socialist Democracy (DS) 8,747 0.05 New 4 +4 People's Palentine Group (APP) 6,234 0.03 New 2 +2 Majorera Assembly (AM) 4,959 0.03 ±0.00 21 −2 Independents of Ibiza and Formentera Federation (FIEF) 2,048 0.01 New 6 +6 Independent Herrenian Group (AHI) 1,452 0.01 ±0.00 8 −1 Others (lists at <0.05% not securing any provincial or island seat) 978,929 5.20 — 5,487 −845 Blank ballots 212,201 1.13 +0.02 Total 18,841,540 100.00 66,308 +731 Valid votes 18,841,540 99.30 +0.56 Invalid votes 131,974 0.70 −0.56 Votes cast / turnout 18,973,514 62.78 −6.64 Abstentions 11,249,870 37.22 +6.64 Registered voters 30,223,384 Sources

City control The following table lists party control in provincial capitals (highlighted in bold), as well as in municipalities above 75,000. Gains for a party are highlighted in that party's colour.