In a statement, the regional structure of the party stated that Albuquerque posted a political propaganda video on the social media platform Facebook, which he subsequently removed. This video is described as “a clear appeal to vote for the AD coalition.”
“Such an appeal and act of political propaganda on election day represents a gross violation of the Electoral Law for the Assembly of the Republic, further aggravated by being issued by a high-ranking political officeholder,” says the BE (Bloco de Esquerda).
The statement, signed by the party’s regional coordinator, Dina Letra, further notes that “attacks on democracy and the rule of law also occur through non-compliance with and violation of democratic laws and are yet another episode in a long history of democratic ‘deficit’ experienced in the Autonomous Region of Madeira.”
The polling stations for the early legislative elections close today at 7:00 PM in mainland Portugal and Madeira, closing an hour later in the Azores due to the time difference.
According to the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Administration (SGMAI), 10.8 million voters are eligible to cast their votes in today’s early legislative elections.
A total of 230 members of parliament will be elected across 22 electoral constituencies—18 of which are located on the mainland, with the remaining in the Azores, Madeira, Europe, and outside Europe. The electoral process is expected to cost around 26.5 million euros.
These elections feature 21 political forces, three more than in the elections held in March of last year.
In the previous legislative elections on March 10, 2024, the abstention rate was recorded at 40.10%, showing a decrease compared to the 2022 legislative elections, where the abstention rate reached 48.54%.
