The National Election Commission (CNE) clarified today that any ballot paper featuring additional markings—such as more than one checked box or any cuts, drawings, erasures, or written words—will be deemed void.
This clarification was issued following the CNE’s awareness of misinformation regarding the proper filling out of ballot papers.
Polling stations for the early legislative elections are set to close today at 19:00 in mainland Portugal and Madeira, while they will remain open for an additional hour in the Azores due to the time difference.
According to the Secretariat-General of the Ministry of Internal Administration (SGMAI), 10.8 million voters are eligible to participate in today’s early legislative elections.
A total of 230 deputies will be elected across 22 electoral districts—18 in mainland Portugal and the remainder in the Azores, Madeira, Europe, and outside Europe—with the election costs estimated to be around 26.5 million euros.
This election sees the participation of 21 political parties, an increase of three compared to the elections held in March last year.
In the previous legislative elections on March 10, 2024, the abstention rate was 40.16%, the lowest since 2005, when it stood at 35.74%.
