“This is a very important day for our democracy. It is time to call on all Portuguese citizens to go to the polling stations to choose their local representatives, whether for parish assemblies, municipal councils, or municipal assemblies. The country’s future, prosperity, and success highly depend on the choices made today,” he stated.
The Prime Minister spoke to journalists shortly after voting at Escola Básica n.º 2 in Espinho, Aveiro district, shortly after 9:00 am.
For Luís Montenegro, these elections provide voters with “a closer understanding of the most pressing issues in families’ lives.”
“My wish, apart from ensuring everything runs smoothly, is for a high level of participation. Traditionally, these elections see higher turnout because this closeness brings additional motivation. I hope the Portuguese, thinking about the future and the power local governance has to transform society for the better, exercise their right, which is also a civic duty,” he declared.
When asked about the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s message, Montenegro agreed with the notion that local authorities will handle much of the “significant public investment that will occur in the coming years.”
After voting, the Prime Minister plans to spend the day with his family, as revealed, after a two-week campaign, before monitoring the election results at the Porto district headquarters, as the national headquarters in Lisbon is undergoing renovations.
More than 9.3 million voters are eligible to vote in these local elections, according to voter registration data provided by the Secretaria-Geral do Ministério da Administração Interna (MAI).
Of the 9,303,840 registered voters, 9,262,722 are nationals, while 18,319 are EU foreign voters and 22,799 are non-EU foreign voters, both registered in national territory.
Voters will choose leadership for the 308 Municipal Councils, 308 Municipal Assemblies, and 3,221 Parish Assemblies, resulting in three different ballots.
A total of 1,584 lists from parties, coalitions, and citizen groups are running for Municipal Councils, 1,519 for Municipal Assemblies, and 9,764 for Parish Assemblies, according to the latest data from the Secretaria-Geral do MAI.
