On Thursday, the collection of early votes from students, hospitalized patients, or prisoners (not deprived of political rights) who requested to exercise their voting rights will conclude.
Professional-related early voting can be conducted between October 2 and 7 at the City Hall of the municipality where the voter is registered. This must be done before the mayor, who may be exceptionally replaced by the vice-president or any alderman of the municipality.
Workers eligible for early voting exceptions must present an identification card and a document verifying the impediment, issued by a hierarchical superior or employer, or another document that sufficiently proves the impediment.
This early voting applies to dependent, independent, or freelance workers, as well as military personnel, internal security forces and services agents, firefighters, or civil protection agents who cannot travel to polling stations on election day due to professional reasons.
Additionally, workers in the maritime, aeronautical, rail, or long-haul road sectors who expect to be working that day can vote in advance.
Other eligible professionals include members of official state delegations traveling abroad in representation of the country, members of national teams representing officially abroad, public, private, or cooperative sector entities, and representatives of workers’ or economic activities’ organizations.
After identification and proof of impediment, the voter will receive three ballots (a white one for the Parish Assembly, a yellow one for the Municipal Assembly, and a green one for the City Council) and two envelopes (a blue one and a white one).
The ballots will be placed in the white envelope, which is sealed and placed, along with the impediment verification document, in the blue envelope, which is also sealed.
The voter will receive a receipt proving the exercise of the right to vote.
The mayor or their representative will send the blue envelope to the voter’s electoral assembly, addressed to the respective Parish Council, by October 8.
More than 9.3 million voters are registered to vote in the municipal elections on October 12, of which over 41,000 are foreign citizens registered in Portugal, according to the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI).
The official campaign for the municipal elections will run until October 10, the Friday before election day.
Provisional data from the National Election Commission (CNE) estimate that 817 political forces and movements are running in these municipal elections, among which 618 are citizen electoral group candidacies, 181 from different party coalitions, and 18 from political parties.
According to provisional numbers, the total candidacies presented include 1,588 lists for city councils, 1,524 for municipal assemblies, and 9,750 for parish assemblies.
In the municipal elections, taking place from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on October 12, voters will elect the governing bodies of 308 city councils, 308 municipal assemblies, and 3,221 parish assemblies.
An additional 37 parishes will choose the executive in citizen plenaries, as they have fewer than 150 voters.
