The votes of Portuguese voters residing abroad begin to be counted in Lisbon today, in an operation that will last until Wednesday, when the four deputies from the European and Non-European circles should be known.
The assemblies to collect and count votes from Portuguese residents abroad for the March 10 legislative elections will take place at the Lisbon Congress Center.
According to the most recent data from the Electoral Administration, as of Friday, March 15, 299.322 letters containing votes had been received from voters residing abroad, the majority coming from Europe (230.731, or 77%), followed by America ( 57.345, 19%), from Asia and Oceania (9.396, 3%) and Africa (1.850, 1%).
The number of letters received represents 19,42% of the 1.541.464 voters from the two constituencies – Europe and Outside Europe – who chose to vote by post, a vote higher by almost five percentage points than the 14,49% of votes received in the same period in the January 2022 legislative elections.
More than 1,5 million letters with voting forms were sent to 189 destinations from February 04th and votes began to arrive in Portugal on February 20th.
The option for in-person voting was exercised by 5.283 voters.
Data from the Electoral Administration also point to a decrease in letters returned without voting: 106.950 in 2024 (6,94%) compared to 142.408 (9,37%) in the legislative elections two years ago.
Regarding the reasons given for the return of envelopes, the indication of “Unknown” recipient at the indicated address stands out, with 59,45%, and “Not Claimed”, with 17,21%.
The votes of Portuguese emigrants will result in the election of four deputies, who could influence the final result of the legislative elections, since the Democratic Alliance coalition (PSD/CDS/PPM) elected 79 deputies and the PS 77.
Only after Wednesday, the last day of collecting and counting these votes, will the President of the Republic, who must have heard all parties with parliamentary seats by that date, appoint the new prime minister.
In the 2022 legislative elections, the PS won both places in Europe and shared the Outside Europe circle with the PSD.
The Democratic Alliance (AD), which brings together PSD, CDS and PPM, with 29,49% of the votes counted, won 79 deputies in the Assembly of the Republic, in Sunday's legislative elections, against 77 for the PS (28,66%), following Chega has 48 elected deputies (18,06%).
IL, with eight seats, BE, with five, and PAN, with one, maintained the number of deputies. Livre went from one to four elected representatives while the CDU lost two seats and was left with four deputies.
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