1991 Balearic regional election

The 1991 Balearic regional election was held on Sunday, 26 May 1991, to elect the 3rd 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.

1991 Balearic regional election

26 May 1991
All 59 seats in the Parliament of the Balearic Islands 30 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered	566,243 11.6%
Turnout	341,294 (60.3%) 6.6 pp
Leader Gabriel Cañellas Francesc Obrador Mateu Morro Party PP–UM PSIB–PSOE PSM–NM Leader since 1980 1991 1988 Leader's seat Mallorca Mallorca Mallorca Last election 29 seats, 47.3%[lower-alpha 1] 21 seats, 32.5% 2 seats, 4.9% Seats won 31 21 3 Seat change 2 0 1 Popular vote 160,512 102,060 22,522 Percentage 47.3% 30.1% 6.6% Swing 0.0 pp 2.4 pp 1.7 pp   Leader Joan López Casasnovas Miquel Pascual Cosme Vidal Juan Party PSM–EU UIM–IM FIEF Leader since 1983 1991 1991 Leader's seat Menorca Mallorca Ibiza Last election 2 seats, 1.3% Did not contest Did not contest Seats won 2 1 1 Seat change 0 1 1 Popular vote 4,654 8,429 2,468 Percentage 1.4% 2.5% 0.7% Swing 0.1 pp New party New party
Constituency results map for the Parliament of the Balearic Islands
President before election Gabriel Cañellas PP–UM Elected President Gabriel Cañellas PP–UM

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 President of the Government.[1] Voting for the Parliament was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over eighteen, 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 a threshold of 3 percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each constituency. Parties not reaching the threshold were not taken into consideration for seat distribution. Seats were allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. Each constituency was allocated a fixed number of seats: 33 for Mallorca, 13 for Menorca, 12 for Ibiza and 1 for Formentera.[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][4]

Election date

The term of the Parliament of the Balearic Islands expired four years after the date of its previous election. Legal amendments earlier in 1991 established that elections to the Parliament were to be fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years. The previous election was held on 10 June 1987, setting the election date for the Parliament on Sunday, 26 May 1991.[1][2][3][4]

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 given poll. When available, seat projections are also displayed below the voting estimates 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		ARM	UIM	FIEF	Lead
1991 regional election	26 May 1991	N/A	60.3	[lower-alpha 2]	30.1 21	2.9 0	[lower-alpha 2]	6.6 3	2.3 0	[lower-alpha 2]	1.4 2	47.3 31	–	2.5 1	0.7 1	17.2
Sigma Dos/El Mundo[p 1][p 2]	18 May 1991	?	?	[lower-alpha 2]	31.5 19/22	5.3 1/2	[lower-alpha 2]	6.3 4	4.0 0/1	[lower-alpha 2]	–	46.7 31/33	–	–	–	15.2
Metra Seis/El Independiente[p 1][p 2]	12 May 1991	?	?	[lower-alpha 2]	30.4 22	7.3 3	[lower-alpha 2]	10.4 4	2.7 1	[lower-alpha 2]	1.1 1/2	40.8 27/28	–	–	–	10.4
Demoscopia/El País[p 1][p 2][p 3][p 4]	4–7 May 1991	400	?	[lower-alpha 2]	31.3 22	4.7 3	[lower-alpha 2]	8.1 3	5.6 1	[lower-alpha 2]	–	45.2 30	–	–	–	13.9
1989 general election	29 Oct 1989	N/A	63.5	[lower-alpha 2]	34.5	9.2	–	2.3	5.1	[lower-alpha 2]	–	40.7	2.5	–	–	6.2
1989 EP election	15 Jun 1989	N/A	44.7	[lower-alpha 2]	35.6	8.2	–	4.2	3.5	[lower-alpha 2]	–	32.9	5.7	–	–	2.7
1987 regional election	10 Jun 1987	N/A	66.9	36.7 25	32.5 21	10.2 5	9.0 4	4.9 2	2.2 0	1.6 0	1.3 2	–	–	–	–	4.2

Results

Overall

← Summary of the 26 May 1991 Parliament of the Balearic Islands election results →

Parties and coalitions		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Total	+/−
	People's Party–Majorcan Union (PP–UM)	160,512	47.32	+0.04	31	+2
	People's Party–Majorcan Union (PP–UM)^1	130,275	38.41	–0.93	18	+1
	People's Party (PP)^2	30,237	8.91	+0.96	13	+1
	Socialist Party of the Balearic Islands (PSIB–PSOE)	102,060	30.09	–2.38	21	±0
	Socialist Party of Majorca–Nationalists of Majorca (PSM–NM)	22,522	6.64	+1.76	3	+1
	Democratic and Social Centre (CDS)	9,938	2.93	–7.25	0	–5
	Independent Union of Majorca–Independents of Majorca (UIM–IM)	8,429	2.49	New	1	+1
	United Left (EU–IU)	7,741	2.28	+0.07	0	±0
	The Greens (EV)	7,205	2.12	New	0	±0
	Balearic Convergence (CB)	5,513	1.63	New	0	±0
	Agreement of the Left of Menorca (PSM–EU)	4,654	1.37	+0.07	2	±0
	Independents of Ibiza and Formentera Federation (FIEF)	2,468	0.73	New	1	+1
	Nationalist and Ecologist Agreement (ENE)	1,392	0.41	New	0	±0
	Independents of Formentera Group (GUIF)	692	0.20	New	0	±0
	Progressive Union of Menorca (UPdeM)	624	0.18	New	0	±0
	Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (FE–JONS)	600	0.18	New	0	±0
	Alliance for the Republic (AxR)	596	0.18	New	0	±0
	Balearic Radical Party (PRB)	549	0.16	New	0	±0
	Left Unitary Platform (PCE (m–l)–CRPE)	259	0.08	New	0	±0
Blank ballots		2,934	0.87	–0.18
Total		339,188			59	±0
Valid votes		339,188	99.38	+0.66
Invalid votes		2,106	0.62	–0.66
Votes cast / turnout		341,294	60.27	–6.67
Abstentions		224,949	39.73	+6.67
Registered voters		566,243
Sources[5][6][7]

Popular vote PP–UM   47.32% PSIB–PSOE   30.09% PSM–NM   6.64% CDS   2.93% UIM–IM   2.49% EU–IU   2.28% EV   2.12% CB   1.63% PSM–EU   1.37% FIEF   0.73% Others   1.39% Blank ballots   0.87%

Seats PP–UM   52.54% PSIB–PSOE   35.59% PSM–NM   5.08% PSM–EU   3.39% UIM–IM   1.69% FIEF   1.69%

Distribution by constituency

Constituency	PP–UM		PSIB		PSM–NM		UIM–IM		PSM–EU		FIEF
	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S
Formentera	28.6	−	40.4	1
Ibiza	49.5	7	31.8	4							8.3	1
Mallorca	47.5	18	29.4	11	8.2	3	3.1	1
Menorca	45.1	6	33.6	5					14.1	2
Total	47.3	31	30.1	21	6.6	3	2.5	1	1.4	2	0.7	1
Sources[6][7]

Aftermath

Investiture Gabriel Cañellas (PP)
Ballot →		27 June 1991
Required majority →		30 out of 59
	Yes • PP–UM (31)	31 / 59
	No • PSIB (21) • PSM–NM (3) • PSMen (2)	26 / 59
	Abstentions • UIM–IM (1) • FIEF (1)	2 / 59
	Absentees	0 / 59
Sources[7]

See also

• Results breakdown of the 1991 Spanish local elections (Balearic Islands)

Notes

1. Aggregated data for AP–PL, UM and PDP in the 1987 election.
2. Within PP.

References

Opinion poll sources

1. "Seis comunidades dependen de pactos". ABC (in Spanish). 20 May 1991.
2. "Las elecciones de 26-5-91". CEPC (in Spanish). August 1991.
3. "La coalición de PP y UM se hace con la mayoría". El País (in Spanish). 19 May 1991.
4. "Ficha técnica". El País (in Spanish). 19 May 1991.

Other

1. "Statute of Autonomy of the Balearic Islands of 1983". Organic Law No. 2 of 25 February 1983. Official State Gazette (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 September 2017.
2. "Balearic Islands Autonomous Community Electoral Law of 1986". Law No. 8 of 26 November 1986. Official Gazette of the Balearic Islands (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 September 2017.
3. "General Electoral System Organic Law of 1985". Organic Law No. 5 of 19 June 1985. Official State Gazette (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2016.
4. "Representation of the people Institutional Act". www.juntaelectoralcentral.es. Central Electoral Commission. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
5. "Parliament of the Balearic Islands elections, 1983-2003" (PDF). web.parlamentib.es (in Catalan). Electoral Commission of the Balearic Islands. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
6. "Parliament of the Balearic Islands election results, 26 May 1991" (PDF). www.juntaelectoralcentral.es (in Catalan). Electoral Commission of the Balearic Islands. 2 July 1991. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
7. "Eleccions al Parlament de les Illes Balears i i Consells Insulars (1979 - 2019)". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 September 2017.