“Municipal elections are extremely important because this is where political power is closest to the people and where what happens in the municipalities’ daily life most impacts their lives. It is very important for people to vote to have a say in what will be the future of their municipalities,” stated Mariana Leitão after voting at the Cesário Verde Basic School in Oeiras, Lisbon district.
The IL leader waited about five minutes to vote and remarked to journalists that “it is a great sign that more and more people are voting and that the abstention rate is decreasing.”
“And that people understand that this civic act is fundamental to the proper functioning of democracy, and therefore, I am very pleased that the indications so far are of higher turnout, and I hope it continues this way until the end of the day,” she said.
Mariana Leitão noted that she will now have lunch with her daughters before traveling to Porto, where the IL is organizing its election night events.
Over 9.3 million voters are eligible to vote in these municipal elections, according to registration data provided by the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI).
Voters will choose the leadership of 308 Municipal Chambers, 308 Municipal Assemblies, and 3,221 Parish Assemblies, with three ballot papers available.
A total of 1,584 lists from parties, coalitions, and groups of citizens are candidates for the Municipal Chambers, 1,519 for the Municipal Assemblies, and 9,764 lists for Parish Assemblies, based on the most updated lists from the General Secretariat of the MAI.
