The regional picture, at first glance, had been dominated by the Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD), heading the pre-autonomic government since 1978 and having won the 1979 elections to the Mallorca and Menorca Island Councils.

The election resulted in a tie at 21 seats between the People's Coalition—formed by AP, the PDP and the Liberal Union (UL)—and the PSOE, with a narrow overall victory for the centre-right parties.

[2] AP candidate Gabriel Cañellas was able to access the regional government through the support of UM—which had obtained 6 seats—and the votes from the Liberal Democratic Party (PDL) and the Menorcan Independent Candidacy (CIM).

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 54 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 three percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each constituency.

[18][19][20] In Mallorca, the former president of the Inter-island General Council, Jeroni Albertí, led the formation of the regionalist coalition Majorcan Union (UM) as a continuation of UCD on the island.