Municipalities, like parishes, were classified as urban or rural, except for those of Lisbon and Porto, which were classified as metropolitan areas. A municipality was governed by a ***municipal assembly***, half of whose members were elected every four years and half of whom were the presidents of parish boards operating within the municipality. A municipal assembly met five times a year, and its members were unpaid. A municipality's executive body was the municipal chamber. Its members (aldermen) were elected, served year-round, and were paid. The chamber was headed by a president (mayor). The president of a municipal chamber was the candidate for that body who had received the most votes. Each chamber had a council, composed of representatives from a variety of organizations, which served as a consultative body. The size of these municipal bodies was determined by the number of registered voters within a municipality.

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