The unique list of candidates, comprising one effective member from each parliamentary group, received only 11 blank votes and two null votes.
The single list for the CNE includes the following effective members: Teresa Leal Coelho (PSD), Fernando José Silva (Chega), Fernando Anastácio (PS), Ana Rita Andrade (Iniciativa Liberal), André Wemans (Livre), Sérgio Manuel Pratas (PCP), and Rodrigo Roquete (CDS).
The substitute members designated are Jorge Paulo Oliveira (PSD), Filipe Arrais Lima Bacelar (PS), Natércia Rodrigues Lopes (Livre), Helena Casqueiro (PCP), and Ana Cristina Delgado (CDS).
During the preliminary hearing for these candidates, held on Wednesday in the Constitutional Affairs Committee, deputies from various political backgrounds cautioned against the risks of rising misinformation and the legal security of their decisions.
Social Democratic deputy Francisco José Martins praised the “speed” of the nomination process for the new CNE members, especially with regard to preparing for the upcoming local elections. He was the first to warn about the risks of “increasing misinformation,” a point also raised by Paulo Muacho from Livre and Pedro Vaz from PS.
One of the most warning-filled interventions came from socialist deputy Pedro Vaz, who raised concerns about the legal security of CNE’s decisions, some of which conflict with opinions issued by their own services.
Pedro Vaz mentioned cases of decisions made by the CNE and their compliance with the Constitutional Court’s jurisprudence, as well as situations where photos of individuals advertising their vote are published on social media, which he believes could constitute “a form of coercion.”
On this last point, Chega’s CNE candidate, Fernando José Silva, stated that these cases should be referred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Chega deputy Ricardo Reis raised the issue of voting in expatriate circles, suggesting it leads to a situation of “first-class Portuguese (residing in national territory) and second-class others.”
In response, former Social Democratic deputy Teresa Leal Coelho emphasized the necessity of adopting measures to ensure voting for expatriates.
She highlighted problems such as the “speed of originating mail” and a lack of information among Portuguese expatriates regarding the exercise of their voting rights.
Subsequently, Fernando Anastácio, the PS-designated CNE candidate, expressed support for codifying electoral legislation, as well as expanding competencies in combating misinformation.
During the meeting, the former leader of Iniciativa Liberal Rui Rocha, who had brought up the issue of the “proliferation of electoral legislation” and the need for its codification, warned that the CNE should focus on precision in communication to avoid “creating confusion.”
