More than 333 thousand voters cast their early votes

More than 333 thousand voters can vote today in the legislative elections on May 18, the largest number ever to decide to exercise their right to vote in advance since this modality was instituted.

In total, there are 333,347 voters registered in the national territory who registered, last week, for early voting in mobility and who will go to the polls open today in the municipalities of the mainland and the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira.

In the March 2024 elections, 208,007 voters requested to vote early, including the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the number of people registered in the country to vote in this way was the highest ever since the possibility of early voting was extended to all voters.

Voters must go to the polling station in the municipality they chose when registering today, identify themselves and indicate the parish where they are registered. After voting, they will be given a duplicate of the security sticker that serves as proof of exercising their right to vote.

If a voter has registered to vote today but is unable to do so, they can exercise their right to vote next Sunday at the polling station or section where they are registered.

Among the voters who chose to vote today is the president of the PS, Carlos César, who will exercise this right at Ponta Delgada City Hall in the middle of the afternoon.

More than 10.8 million voters residing in Portugal and abroad are registered for the early legislative elections that will elect the 230 deputies to the Assembly of the Republic.

Established with the entry into force of Organic Law No. 3/218, on the occasion of the election of Portuguese deputies to the European Parliament in 2019, the early voting method in mobility was chosen by 285,848 in the 2022 legislative elections.

A total of 21 parties and/or coalitions are competing in the legislative elections, with the Social Liberal Party making its debut in these elections.