“The increase in abstention for the legislative elections is a bad sign because these municipal elections are indeed very important,” lamented Isabel Mendes Lopes, speaking to journalists at Teatro Thalia, the venue chosen by the party Livre for the municipal election night.
The abstention rate in the legislative elections on May 18 stood at 41.7%, rising compared to the previous year but remaining lower than in all other legislative elections since 2009.
The parliamentary leader of Livre emphasized that in this vote, the electors decide “who will govern our land, who will decide the destiny of our land, from the parish to the Municipal Assembly, to the City Council.”
“Therefore, these elections are indeed very important and, in this respect, we regret the abstention rate remains high and is even higher than in the legislative elections,” she added.
Isabel Mendes Lopes expressed anticipation for the first results, which Livre will await, she mentioned.
The party’s election night is taking place at Teatro Thalia in Lisbon, and Rui Tavares is expected to arrive by 19:45.
The abstention rate in today’s municipal elections will range between 43% and 48.3%, according to projections released by RTP, SIC, and CNN Portugal.
The abstention rate in municipal elections has been above 40% since 2009, and four years ago, the second-highest percentage was recorded at 46.35%, slightly below the record value of 47.4% reached in 2013.
Voter turnout for today’s municipal elections was at 43.42% by 16:00 according to data from the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Administration, a figure higher than that recorded at the same time four years ago.
