2019 Seville municipal election

2019 Seville municipal election
26 May 2019
All 31 seats in the City Council of Seville
16 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered540,851 0.8%
Turnout317,843 (58.8%)
0.7 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Juan Espadas Beltrán Pérez Susana Serrano
Party PSOE–A PP Adelante
Leader since 24 May 2010 16 March 2018 14 April 2015
Last election 11 seats, 32.2% 12 seats, 33.1% 5 seats, 16.0%[a]
Seats won 13 8 4
Seat change 2 4 1
Popular vote 123,933 73,101 44,546
Percentage 39.2% 23.1% 14.1%
Swing 7.0 pp 10.0 pp 1.9 pp
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Leader Álvaro Pimentel Cristina Peláez
Party Cs Vox
Leader since 27 March 2019 2015
Last election 3 seats, 9.3% 0 seats, 0.5%
Seats won 4 2
Seat change 1 2
Popular vote 39,331 25,122
Percentage 12.5% 8.0%
Swing 3.2 pp 7.5 pp
Mayor before election

Juan Espadas
PSOE

Elected mayor

Juan Espadas
PSOE

A municipal election was held in Seville on Sunday, 26 May 2019, to elect the 11th City Council of the municipality. All 31 seats in the City Council were up for election. It was held concurrently with regional elections in twelve autonomous communities and local elections all across Spain, as well as the 2019 European Parliament election.

Overview

Under the 1978 Constitution, the governance of municipalities in Spain—part of the country's local government system—was centered on the figure of city councils (Spanish: ayuntamientos), local corporations with independent legal personality composed of a mayor, a government council and an elected legislative assembly.[1][2] In the case of Seville, the top-tier administrative and governing body was the City Council of Seville.[3]

Electoral system

Voting for local assemblies was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered and residing in the municipality of Seville and in full enjoyment of their political rights (provided that they were not sentenced—by a final court ruling—to deprivation of the right to vote),[b] as well as resident non-national European citizens and those whose country of origin allowed Spanish nationals to vote in their own elections by virtue of a treaty.[2][5][6]

Local councillors were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional voting system, with an electoral threshold of five percent of valid votes (which included blank ballots) being applied in each municipality.[7] Each municipality constituted a multi-member constituency, entitled a number of seats based on the following scale:[8]

Population Councillors
<100 3
101–250 5
251–1,000 7
1,001–2,000 9
2,001–5,000 11
5,001–10,000 13
10,001–20,000 17
20,001–50,000 21
50,001–100,000 25
>100,001 +1 per each 100,000 inhabitants or fraction
+1 if total is an even number

The law did not provide for by-elections to fill vacated seats; instead, any vacancies that occurred after the proclamation of candidates and into the legislative term were to be covered by the successive candidates in the list and, when required, by the designated substitutes.[9]

The mayor was indirectly elected by the local assembly.[2] A legal clause required candidates to earn the vote of an absolute majority of councillors, or else the candidate of the most-voted party was to be automatically appointed to the post. In the event of a tie, the appointee was to be determined by lot.[10]

Election date

The term of city councils in Spain expired four years after the date of their previous election, with election day being fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years (as of 2026, this has been the year before a leap year). The election decree was required to be issued no later than the fifty-fifth day prior to the scheduled election date and published on the following day in the Official State Gazette (BOE).[11] The previous local elections were held on 24 May 2015, setting the date for election day on the fourth Sunday of May four years later, which was 26 May 2019.

Local councils could not be dissolved before the expiry 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—agree to call a by-election.[12]

Elections to local councils were officially called on 2 April 2019 with the publication of the corresponding decree in the BOE, setting election day for 26 May.[13]

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 ahead of an election were required to inform the relevant electoral commission within ten 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 of candidates. In the case of Seville, as its population was between 300,001 and 1,000,000, at least 5,000 signatures were required.[14] Additionally, a balanced composition of men and women was required in the electoral lists, so that candidates of either sex made up at least 40 percent of the total composition.[15]

Below is a list of the main parties and electoral alliances which contested the election:

Candidacy Parties and
alliances 		Leading candidate Ideology Previous result Gov. Ref.
Vote % Seats
PP
List
 Beltrán Pérez Conservatism
Christian democracy 		33.1% 12 [16]
[17]
PSOE–A
List
 Juan Espadas Social democracy 32.2% 11 [18]
Adelante
List
 Susana Serrano Andalusian nationalism
Left-wing populism
Direct democracy
16.0%
[a] 		5 [19]
[20]
Cs
List
 Álvaro Pimentel Liberalism 9.3% 3 [21]
Vox
List
 Cristina Peláez Right-wing populism
Ultranationalism
National conservatism 		0.5% 0 [22]

Opinion polls

The tables below list opinion polling results 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.

Voting intention estimates

The table below lists weighted voting intention estimates. Refusals are generally excluded from the party vote percentages, while question wording and the treatment of "don't know" responses and those not intending to vote may vary between polling organisations. When available, seat projections determined by the polling organisations are displayed below (or in place of) the percentages in a smaller font; 16 seats were required for an absolute majority in the City Council of Seville.

Voting preferences

The table below lists raw, unweighted voting preferences.

Victory likelihood

The table below lists opinion polling on the perceived likelihood of victory for each party in the event of a municipal election taking place.

Preferred Mayor

The table below lists opinion polling on leader preferences to become mayor of Seville.

Results

← Summary of the 26 May 2019 City Council of Seville election results →
Parties and alliances Popular vote Seats
Votes % ±pp Total +/−
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party of Andalusia (PSOE–A) 123,933 39.24 +7.08 13 +2
People's Party (PP) 73,101 23.15 −9.90 8 −4
Forward Seville: We Can–United Left–Andalusian Spring (Adelante)1 44,546 14.10 −1.92 4 −1
Citizens–Party of the Citizenry (Cs) 39,331 12.45 +3.16 4 +1
Vox (Vox) 25,122 7.95 +7.49 2 +2
Animalist Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (PACMA) 3,521 1.11 +0.09 0 ±0
Andalusia by Herself (AxSí)2 1,083 0.34 −1.07 0 ±0
More With You (CNTG+) 820 0.26 New 0 ±0
Act (PACT) 736 0.23 New 0 ±0
For a Fairer World (PUM+J) 486 0.15 New 0 ±0
Feminist Initiative (IFem) 392 0.12 New 0 ±0
Advancing For You (Avanzamos) 206 0.07 New 0 ±0
Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (FE de las JONS) 118 0.04 −0.06 0 ±0
Party of the Immigrant in Spain (PADIE) 103 0.03 −0.03 0 ±0
Renaissance and Union of Europe Party (PRUNE) 47 0.01 New 0 ±0
Blank ballots 2,281 0.72 −0.41
Total 315,826 31 ±0
Valid votes 315,826 99.37 +0.15
Invalid votes 2,017 0.63 −0.15
Votes cast / turnout 317,843 58.77 −0.69
Abstentions 223,008 41.23 +0.69
Registered voters 540,851
Sources[23][24][25]
Footnotes:
Popular vote
PSOE–A
 
 39.24%
PP
 
 23.15%
Adelante
 
 14.10%
Cs
 
 12.45%
Vox
 
 7.95%
PACMA
 
 1.11%
Others
 
 1.26%
Blank ballots
 
 0.72%
Seats
PSOE–A
 
 41.94%
PP
 
 25.81%
Adelante
 
 12.90%
Cs
 
 12.90%
Vox
 
 6.45%

Aftermath

Government formation

Investiture
Ballot → 15 June 2019
Required majority → 16 out of 31
13 / 31
 Y
Beltrán Pérez (PP)
  • • PP (8)
8 / 31
 N
Susana Serrano (Adelante)
4 / 31
 N
Álvaro Pimentel (Cs)
  • • Cs (4)
4 / 31
 N
2 / 31
 N
Abstentions/Blank ballots
0 / 31
Absentees
0 / 31
Sources[26]

2022 investiture

Investiture
Ballot → 3 January 2022
Required majority → 16 out of 31
13 / 31
 Y
Juan de la Rosa (PP)
  • • PP (8)
8 / 31
 N
Álvaro Pimentel (Cs)
  • • Cs (4)
4 / 31
 N
Susana Serrano (Adelante)
3 / 31
 N
2 / 31
 N
Abstentions/Blank ballots
1 / 31
Absentees
0 / 31
Sources[27]

Notes

  1. ^ a b Results for Participa Sevilla (9.0%, 3 seats), IULV–CA (6.0%, 2 seats) and Equo (1.0%, 0 seats) in the 2015 election.
  2. ^ Legal amendments in 2018 granted the right to vote to those legally incapacitated.[4]
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at Within Adelante.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Within Unidos Podemos.

References

Opinion poll sources

  1. ^ "El PSOE se reforzaría en Valencia, Zaragoza y Sevilla pese al auge de Cs y la irrupción de Vox". Público (in Spanish). 20 May 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Elecciones municipales Sevilla 2019: Espadas ganaría, pero tendría que apoyarse en Adelante o Ciudadanos". ABC (in Spanish). 20 May 2019.
  3. ^ "Holgada mayoría para Juan Espadas". El Mundo (in Spanish). 18 May 2019.
  4. ^ "Sevilla seguiría en manos socialistas". El País (in Spanish). 19 May 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Estimaciones de voto en Comunidades Autónomas y grandes ciudades (Estudio nº 3245. Marzo-abril 2019)". CIS (in Spanish). 9 May 2019.
  6. ^ "Macrobarómetro de abril 2019. Preelectoral elecciones al Parlamento Europeo, autonómicas y municipales 2019. Ficha técnica (Estudio nº 3245. Marzo-abril 2019)". CIS (in Spanish). 9 May 2019.
  7. ^ "ElectoPanel municipal (12A): muchas ciudades pendientes de un concejal". Electomanía (in Spanish). 12 April 2019.
  8. ^ a b c "Espadas toma ventaja frente a la amenaza de PP, Cs y Vox". Andalucía Información (in Spanish). 1 May 2019.
  9. ^ "ElectoPanel municipales (4A): Madrid en Pie no consigue entrar en el Ayuntamiento". Electomanía (in Spanish). 4 April 2019.
  10. ^ "ElectoPanel Municipales (28M). Mayorías ajustadas en varias ciudades". Electomanía (in Spanish). 28 March 2019.
  11. ^ "ElectoPanel para municipales (21M): situación estable en la última semana". Electomanía (in Spanish). 21 March 2019.
  12. ^ "ElectoPanel grandes áreas metropolitanas 14M: la izquierda resiste en Valencia, Madrid se le escapa a Carmena". Electomanía (in Spanish). 14 March 2019.
  13. ^ "ElectoPanel municipal: distintas mayorías posibles y mucha igualdad en varias ciudades". Electomanía (in Spanish). 7 March 2019.
  14. ^ a b c "Encuesta sobre la situación del municipio de Sevilla" (PDF). Dialoga Consultores (in Spanish). 14 March 2019.
  15. ^ "Vox entra con fuerza, Juan Espadas se estanca y el PP cae al tercer puesto en intención de votos". ABC (in Spanish). 30 December 2018.
  16. ^ "Espadas roza la mayoría absoluta y el PP cae a su peor resultado histórico". ABC (in Spanish). 25 June 2018.
  17. ^ "SEVILLA. Elecciones municipales. Encuesta Dataestudios para ABC. Junio 2018". Electográfica (in Spanish). 25 June 2018.
  18. ^ "El PSOE ganaría las elecciones en Sevilla y el PP caería al tercer puesto tras Ciudadanos". ABC (in Spanish). 18 February 2018.
  19. ^ a b "El PSOE ganaría en Sevilla por el hundimiento del PP". Andalucía Información (in Spanish). 2 July 2017.
  20. ^ "Sondeo electoral Sevilla 2017". SW Demoscopia (in Spanish). 2 July 2017.
  21. ^ "Espadas y Millán son los candidatos a la Alcaldía de Sevilla mejor valorados". ABC (in Spanish). 30 December 2018.

Other

  1. ^ Constitution (1978), art. 140.
  2. ^ a b c LBRL (1985), art. 19.
  3. ^ LBRL (1985), arts. 121–132.
  4. ^ Marcos, José (18 October 2018). "El Congreso reconoce el derecho a votar de 100.000 discapacitados intelectuales". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  5. ^ Constitution (1978), art. 13.
  6. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 2–3 & 176.
  7. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 163 & 180.
  8. ^ LOREG (1985), art. 179.
  9. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 46, 48 & 182.
  10. ^ LOREG (1985), art. 196.
  11. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 42 & 194.
  12. ^ LBRL (1985), art. 61.
  13. ^ Real Decreto 209/2019, de 1 de abril, por el que se convocan elecciones locales y a las Asambleas de Ceuta y Melilla para el 26 de mayo de 2019 (PDF) (Royal Decree 209/2019). Official State Gazette (in Spanish). 1 April 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  14. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 44 & 187.
  15. ^ LOREG (1985), art. 44 bis.
  16. ^ Navarro Antolín, Carlos (21 June 2017). "El PP impulsa a Beltrán Pérez como nuevo líder de la oposición". Diario de Sevilla (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  17. ^ "Beltrán Pérez será el candidato del PP a la alcaldía de Sevilla". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). EFE. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  18. ^ "Espadas opta a su segundo mandato con "toda la ilusión" pero precisa que él no está "en campaña"". 20 minutos (in Spanish). Seville. Europa Press. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  19. ^ "Susana Serrano gana las primarias de Podemos con 844 votos" (in Spanish). Seville: Cadena SER. Europa Press. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  20. ^ "Susana Serrano encabeza la lista de Adelante seguida de González Rojas" (in Spanish). Seville: Cadena SER. 4 March 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  21. ^ "El abogado Álvaro Pimentel, candidato de Ciudadanos a la Alcaldía de Sevilla". El Mundo (in Spanish). Seville. EFE. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  22. ^ "Cristina Peláez será la candidata de VOX a la Alcaldía de Sevilla". Diario de Sevilla (in Spanish). 22 April 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  23. ^ Lozano, Carles. "Elecciones municipales en Sevilla (desde 1979)". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2025.
  24. ^ "Elecciones celebradas. Resultados electorales" (in Spanish). Ministry of the Interior. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
  25. ^ "Resolución de 12 de septiembre de 2019, de la Presidencia de la Junta Electoral Central, por la que se procede a la publicación del resumen de los resultados de las elecciones locales convocadas por Real Decreto 209/2019, de 1 de abril, y celebradas el 26 de mayo de 2019, según los datos que figuran en las actas de proclamación remitidas por cada una de las Juntas Electorales de Zona. Provincias: Salamanca, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Segovia, Sevilla, Soria, Tarragona y Teruel" (PDF). Official State Gazette (in Spanish) (227): 104036–104600. 21 September 2019. ISSN 0212-033X. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
  26. ^ Barba, Eduardo (15 June 2019). "El socialista Espadas, nombrado alcalde de Sevilla con los votos de su partido". ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  27. ^ "Acta. Sesión celebrada por el Ayuntamiento Pleno. 3 de enero de 2022" (PDF). City Council of Seville (in Spanish). 3 January 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2025.

Bibliography

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