Summary of Sunday’s Local Election Results in Numbers:
PSD Wins 136 Municipalities, Alone and in Coalitions
The PSD, either independently or through various coalitions, emerged as the party with the most elected mayors, securing 136 presidencies. This outcome grants them control of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP).
PS Drops to Second Place, Holding 128 Municipalities
Since 2021, PS was the leading party in local governance but lost this position in Sunday’s elections. Independently, PS won 126 municipalities and gained two more in coalition with Livre and PAN.
20 Municipalities Secured by Citizen Groups
Civic Groups managed to capture the leadership of 20 municipalities, one more than in 2021.
CDU With 12 Municipalities, Records Worst Performance Ever
CDU recorded its worst performance ever, securing only 12 municipalities and losing the two district capitals it previously held – Évora and Setúbal.
Chega Secures Three Municipalities
Following its second-place finish in the May legislative elections, Chega managed to elect three mayors – in São Vicente (Madeira), Albufeira (Algarve), and Entroncamento (district of Santarém). It received just over 600,000 votes, a decrease from the 1.4 million votes in the legislative elections.
CDS Remains the Fourth Local Party with Six Municipalities
CDS-PP remains the fourth most represented party at the municipal level, with six mayors elected on its own lists and one more in coalition with PSD. CDS ran independently in 43 municipalities and in coalition with PSD and others in around 150.
PSD, Independently and in Coalition, Leads Six of the Ten Most Populous Municipalities
Coalitions comprising PSD, CDS-PP, and other parties led in six of the ten most populous municipalities – Lisbon, Sintra, Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, Cascais, and Braga. PS claimed victory in the remaining ones: Loures, Almada, Amadora, and Matosinhos.
Abstention Rate at 40.74%
The abstention rate in Sunday’s local elections stood at 40.74%, according to provisional data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ General Secretariat. This is the lowest rate since 2005, more than five percentage points lower than that recorded four years ago.
