Party leaders all cast votes, exhorting citizens to do same
Voting for today’s ‘snap legislative elections’ (prompted by political crisis) is “generally taking place normally”, a source from the National Electoral Commission (CNE) has told Lusa.
Polling stations opened at 8am in mainland Portugal and Madeira, and will close at 7pm, while in the Azores they open and close one hour later than in Lisbon, due to the time difference.
According to the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Administration (SGMAI), 10,819,122 voters can vote today. A total of 230 members of parliament will be elected in 22 constituencies – 18 of which are in mainland Portugal and the rest in the Azores, Madeira, Europe and beyond – in an election that will cost around €24 million.
Eighteen political forces are running in these early general elections, three fewer than in the 2019 and 2022 elections.
Nova Direita is the only party making its debut in this election, joining PS, Aliança Democrática (PSD/CDS/PPM), CHEGA, IL, BE, CDU (PCP/PEV), PAN, LIVRE, Nós, Cidadãos!, Alternativa 21 (MPT/Aliança), ADN, PTP, RIR, JPP, Ergue-te, MAS, Volt Portugal and PCTP/MRPP.
In the previous legislative elections, on January 30 2022, the abstention rate stood at 48.54% – a drop compared to the 2019 legislative elections, in which the abstention rate reached a record 51.43%.
LUSA
