The 1931 Barcelona City Council election was held on Sunday, 12 April 1931, to elect the Barcelona City Council, the unicameral local legislature of the municipality of Barcelona. This was the first election under the Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera.[clarification needed] At stake were all 50 seats in the City Council, determining the Mayor of Barcelona. The election was perceived as a plebiscite on Spanish Monarchy. The results lead to the Second Spanish Republic.
The number of seats of each council was determined by the population count. According to the 1877 municipal law, the population-seat relationship on each municipality was to be established on the following scale:[1]
Population
Seats
Population
Seats
Population
Seats
<500
6
16,001–18,000
21
55,001–60,000
36
501–800
7
18,001–20,000
22
60,001–65,000
37
801–1,000
8
20,001–22,000
23
65,001–70,000
38
1,001–2,000
9
22,001–24,000
24
70,001–75,000
39
2,001–3,000
10
24,001–26,000
25
75,001–80,000
40
3,001–4,000
11
26,001–28,000
26
80,001–85,000
41
4,001–5,000
12
28,001–30,000
27
85,001–90,000
42
5,001–6,000
13
30,001–32,000
28
90,001–95,000
43
6,001–7,000
14
32,001–34,000
29
95,001–100,000
44
7,001–8,000
15
34,001–36,000
30
100,001–120,000
45
8,001–9,000
16
36,001–38,000
31
120,001–140,000
46
9,001–10,000
17
38,001–40,000
32
140,001–160,000
47
10,001–12,000
18
40,001–45,000
33
160,001–180,000
48
12,001–14,000
19
45,001–50,000
34
180,001–200,000
49
14,001–16,000
20
50,001–55,000
35
>200,001
50
The 1907 election law established that councillors should be elected in districts consisting of 4 members, although 3 to 7 member districts were also allowed. Voters had to choose multiple candidates using limited voting, which allows a voter to vote for fewer candidates than members have to be elected. Candidates winning a plurality of votes in each district were elected. If the number of candidates was equal or fewer than the number of seats to be filled, candidates were automatically proclaimed without an election.
Voting was compulsory, but not enforced, and on the basis of universal manhood suffrage, with males over twenty-five and at least a two-year residency in a municipality required to vote.
Mayors were elected indirectly by the city or town council on the first session after the election.[1][2]
