1987 Balearic regional election

The 1987 Balearic regional election was held on Wednesday, 10 June 1987, to elect the 2nd Parliament of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. All 59 seats in the Parliament were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in twelve other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain, as well as the 1987 European Parliament election.

1987 Balearic regional election

← 1983 10 June 1987 1991 →
All 59 seats in the Parliament of the Balearic Islands 30 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered	507,258 3.9%
Turnout	338,149 (66.9%) 2.2 pp
First party Second party Third party   Leader Gabriel Cañellas Joan Francesc Triay Francesc Quetglas Party AP–PL PSOE CDS Leader since 1980 1986 1982 Leader's seat Mallorca Mallorca Mallorca Last election 21 seats, 35.6%[a] 21 seats, 34.7% 0 seats, 2.1% Seats won 25 21 5 Seat change 4 0 5 Popular vote 123,044 107,762 34,046 Percentage 36.7% 32.5% 10.2% Swing 1.1 pp 2.2 pp 8.1 pp   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Jeroni Albertí Sebastià Serra Joan López Casasnovas Party UM PSM–EN PSM–EU Leader since 1982 1983 1983 Leader's seat Mallorca Mallorca Menorca Last election 6 seats, 15.1% 2 seats, 5.5% 2 seats, 1.3%[b] Seats won 4 2 2 Seat change 2 0 0 Popular vote 30,247 16,383 4,367 Percentage 9.0% 4.9% 1.3% Swing 6.1 pp 0.6 pp 0.0 pp
Constituency results map for the Parliament of the Balearic Islands
President before election Gabriel Cañellas AP–PL Elected President Gabriel Cañellas AP–PL

The governing party People's Alliance (AP), in alliance with Liberal Party (PL), increased support compared to the previous election. The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) received fewer votes than in 1983, but obtained the same seats due to the increase of total parliamentary seats. The third force in the 1983 election, Majorcan Union (UM), lost support in part due to the important increase of Democratic and Social Centre (CDS). Because of this, UM could not repeat their previous support to AP–PL, and instead both parties formed an alliance in the Government, thanks to the abstention of CDS in the investiture vote. This meant that Gabriel Cañellas was invested as President of the Balearic Islands for a second term. Finally, the Nationalist Left (EN), that obtained the same 4 seats presenting candidates in Mallorca and Menorca, lost overall popular support but gained votes in Menorca thanks to the alliance with United Left (EU) in this district.

Overview

Electoral system

The Parliament of the Balearic Islands was the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Balearic 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 the Balearic Islands and in full enjoyment of their political rights. The 59 members of the Parliament of the Balearic Islands were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with an electoral threshold of five percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each constituency. Seats were allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera, with each being allocated a fixed number of seats: 33 for Mallorca, 13 for Menorca, 12 for Ibiza and 1 for Formentera.^[1][2]

The electoral law provided that parties, federations, coalitions and groupings of electors were allowed to present lists of candidates. However, groupings of electors were required to secure the signature of at least 1 percent of the electors registered in the constituency for which they sought election. Electors were barred from signing for more than one list of candidates. Concurrently, parties and federations intending to enter in coalition to take part jointly at an election were required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election being called.^[2][3]

Election date

The term of the Parliament of the Balearic Islands 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 Gazette of the Balearic Islands (BOIB), with election day taking place between the fifty-fourth and the sixtieth day from publication. The previous election was held on 8 May 1983, which meant that the legislature's term would have expired on 8 May 1987. The election decree was required to be published in the BOIB no later than 14 April 1987, with the election taking place no later than the sixtieth day from publication, setting the latest possible election date for the Parliament on Saturday, 13 June 1987.^[1][2][3]

The Parliament of the Balearic Islands 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 sixty-day period from the first ballot. In such a case, the Parliament was to be automatically dissolved and a snap election called, with elected deputies merely serving out what remained of their four-year terms.^[1]

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; 30 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Parliament of the Balearic Islands.

Polling firm/Commissioner	Fieldwork date	Sample size	Turnout			UM	PSM				EEM		Lead
1987 regional election	10 Jun 1987	—	66.9	–	32.5 21	9.0 4	4.9 2	2.2 0	10.2 5	36.7 25	1.3 2	1.6 0	4.2
Demoscopia/El País[p 1]	22–26 May 1987	?	66	–	31.3 18	15.4 10	2.5 0	1.5 0	10.1 6	33.0 25	[c]	2.2 0	1.7
CIS[p 2]	13 May 1987	?	?	–	? 27	? 2	? 2	–	? 10	? 17	[c]	–	?
1986 general election	22 Jun 1986	—	66.0	34.3	40.3	–	2.2	2.3	11.3	[d]	–	[d]	7.0
1983 regional election	8 May 1983	—	64.7	35.6 21	34.7 21	16.3 7	5.5 2	2.5[e] 0	2.1 0	[d]	1.2[f] 2	[d]	0.9

Results

Overall

← Summary of the 10 June 1987 Parliament of the Balearic Islands election results →

Parties and alliances		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Total	+/−
	People's Alliance–Liberal Party (AP–PL)1	123,130	36.71	+1.13	25	+4
	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)	108,910	32.47	–2.24	21	±0
	Democratic and Social Centre (CDS)	34,146	10.18	+8.05	5	+5
	Majorcan Union (UM)	30,247	9.02	–6.07	4	–2
	Socialist Party of Majorca–Nationalist Left (PSM–EN)	16,383	4.88	–0.58	2	±0
	United Left (EU–IU)2	7,428	2.21	–0.12	0	±0
	People's Democratic Party (PDP)	5,212	1.55	New	0	±0
	Agreement of the Left of Menorca (PSM–EU)3	4,367	1.30	–0.04	2	±0
	Workers' Party of Spain–Communist Unity (PTE–UC)	1,072	0.32	New	0	±0
	Life and Autonomy (VIA)	961	0.29	New	0	±0
	Liberal Democratic Party (PDL)	n/a	n/a	–1.25	0	–1
	Menorcan Independent Candidacy (CIM)	n/a	n/a	–1.05	0	–1
Blank ballots		3,525	1.05	+0.46
Total		335,381			59	+5
Valid votes		335,381	98.77	+0.31
Invalid votes		4,163	1.23	–0.31
Votes cast / turnout		339,544	66.94	+2.27
Abstentions		167,714	33.06	–2.27
Registered voters		507,258
Sources[4][5]
Footnotes: 1 People's Alliance–Liberal Party results are compared to People's Coalition totals in the 1983 election. 2 United Left results are compared to Communist Party of the Balearic Islands totals in the 1983 election, not including results in Menorca. 3 Agreement of the Left of Menorca results are compared to the combined totals of Socialist Party of Menorca and Communist Party of the Balearic Islands in Menorca in the 1983 election.

Popular vote AP–PL   36.71% PSOE   32.47% CDS   10.18% UM   9.02% PSM–EN   4.88% EU–IU   2.21% PDP   1.55% PSM–EU   1.30% Others   0.61% Blank ballots   1.05%

Seats AP–PL   42.37% PSOE   35.59% CDS   8.47% UM   6.78% PSM–EN   3.39% PSM–EU   3.39%

Distribution by constituency

Constituency	AP–PL		PSOE		CDS		UM		PSM–EN		PSM–EU
	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S
Formentera	38.8	−	46.8	1	13.6	−
Ibiza	53.4	7	34.7	4	7.7	1
Mallorca	34.9	13	31.8	11	10.5	3	10.9	4	5.9	2
Menorca	38.9	5	35.7	5	9.3	1					14.9	2
Total	36.7	25	32.5	21	10.2	5	9.0	4	4.9	2	1.3	2
Sources[4][5]

Aftermath

Investiture Gabriel Cañellas (AP)
Ballot →		15 July 1987	17 July 1987
Required majority →		30 out of 59 N	Simple Y
	Yes • AP–PL (25) • UM (4)	29 / 59	29 / 59
	No • PSOE (21) • PSM (2) • PSMen (2)	25 / 59	25 / 59
	Abstentions • CDS (5)	5 / 59	5 / 59
	Absentees	0 / 59	0 / 59
Sources[5]

See also

• Results breakdown of the 1987 Spanish local elections (Balearic Islands)

Notes

1. Results for AP–PDP–UL in the 1983 election.
2. Results for PSM (1.20%, 2 seats) and PCIB in Menorca (0.14%, 0 seats) in the 1983 election.
3. Within PSM.
4. Within CP.
5. Result for PCIB.
6. Result for PSM.

References

Opinion poll sources

1. "Alianza Popular mantiene la mayoría relativa" (PDF). El País (in Spanish). 4 June 1987.
2. "Los sondeos auguran el cambio". ABC (in Spanish). 13 May 1987.

Other

1. Ley Orgánica 2/1983, de 25 de febrero, de Estatuto de Autonomía para las islas Baleares. Boletín Oficial del Estado (Organic Law 1) (in Spanish). 25 February 1983. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
2. Ley 8/1986, de 26 de noviembre, Electoral de la Comunidad Autónoma de las Islas Baleares. Boletín Oficial del Estado (Law 8) (in Spanish). 26 November 1986. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
3. Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General. Boletín Oficial del Estado (Organic Law 5) (in Spanish). 19 June 1985. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
4. "Regional elections, 1987. Balearic Islands". www.caib.es (in Catalan). Government of the Balearic Islands. Archived from the original on 28 September 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
5. "Eleccions al Parlament de les Illes Balears i i Consells Insulars (1979 - 2019)". Historia Electoral.com (in Catalan). Retrieved 28 September 2017.