Spanish local elections, 1931

The 1931 Spanish local elections were held on 12 April throughout all Spain municipalities to elect 80,472 councillors. These elections were perceived as a plebiscite on the monarchy of Alfonso XIII. The Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed after this election.

Since 1923, Spain was a dictatorship with the approval of the king Alfonso XIII. After the end of the Primo de Rivera dictatorship in 1930 and the failure of his successor to establish another dictatorship, in 1931 the new cabinet appointed by the king decided to held new local elections for first time in nine years. Although being local elections, these were perceived as a plebiscite on the Spanish monarchy.

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:

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 a less 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 less than the number of seats to be filled, candidates were automatically proclaimed without an election. Voting was compulsory 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.

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