Assembly of the Republic

Portuguese citizens over 18 years of age, who are registered in the Portuguese voter registration, in the national territory or abroad, can vote.

Portuguese people who are also nationals of another State do not therefore lose their active electoral capacity, and can therefore vote in the election for the Assembly of the Republic.

Finally, citizens with Brazilian citizenship, resident and registered in Portugal, holders of a citizen card or identity card, with the status of equal political rights, can vote in legislative elections.

Yes, since you were automatically registered at the age of 17, on a provisional basis, becoming an effective voter on the date you turn 18.

However, if you live abroad and hold an identity card, you must register for voter registration with the Portuguese diplomatic representation in your area of residence, up to the 60th day before the election, that is, up to the 10th January 2024, as voter registration update operations are suspended on that date and will only be resumed on the day following the legislative elections.

You must update your residence on your citizen card, and the transfer of your voter registration is carried out automatically.

It should be known that voter registration update operations are suspended on the 60th day before each election.

Therefore, only data updates will be considered, namely addresses associated with citizen cards that have been issued, confirmed and validated by January 9, 2024. Transfers resulting from a change of address on the citizen card that is issued and activated beyond that date, they are only carried out from the day following the date of the election (the date on which the updating of the voter registration legally resumes) so, in this situation, voters can only vote in the parish of their previous residence.

You can obtain information about your voting location, in the fifteen days before the election:

at the Parish Council/Recensus Commission;
at the City Council in your area of residence;
via the Internet (https://recenseamento.pt);
In national territory, by SMS (write the following message: RE <space> civil identification number without check.digit <space> date of birth YYYYMMDD example: RE 1444880 19531007 and dial 3838), in the 15 days before election day or referendum;
Abroad, by SMS (write the following message: RE <space> civil identification number without check.digit <space> date of birth YYYYMMDD example: RE 1444880 19531007 and dial +351 962 171 000), within 15 days prior to the election day or referendum;
through the Voter Support Line: 808 206 206/+351 213 947 101.

The right to vote is exercised in the place where you are registered and which, in this case, corresponds to your previous address. Only after updating and confirming/validating the address associated with your citizen card will your voter registration be automatically transferred to the parish corresponding to your new address.

You can obtain this information in the fifteen days before the election:

at the Parish Council;
at the City Council;
via the Internet (https://recenseamento.pt);
In national territory, by SMS (write the following message: RE <space> civil identification number without check.digit <space> date of birth YYYYMMDD example: RE 1444880 19531007 and dial 3838), in the 15 days before election day or referendum;
Abroad, by SMS (write the following message: RE <space> civil identification number without check.digit <space> date of birth YYYYMMDD example: RE 1444880 19531007 and dial +351 962 171 000), within 15 days prior to the election day or referendum;
through the Voter Support Line: 808 206 206/+351 213 947 101

If your citizen card has an address indicated abroad, you must, as soon as possible, update and confirm/validate your new address on that identification document. As soon as that change is made and activated, your registration in national territory will be unofficially and automatically carried out in the parish corresponding to the indicated address.

If you have a valid identity card and have an updated address in the national territory, you must register for the voter registration with the census commission/parish council in your area of residence.

Finally, it should be noted that in the elections for the Assembly of the Republic on March 10, 2024, you can vote if you register in the electoral register until the 60th day before the election, that is, until January 10, 2024 , since voter registration update operations are suspended on that date, and are only resumed on the day following the election (See article 5, no. 3, of the Voter Registration Legal Regime (RJRE), approved by Law No. 13/99, of March 22).

Yes, you can. The right to vote in this election can be exercised by post or in person. To vote in person, you must, by the date of the election, express your desire to your census committee (Portuguese diplomatic representation in your area of residence). On the 9th or 10th of March, you must exercise your right to vote in person at your polling station.

If you did not choose to vote in person, you can vote by post. In this case, the Electoral administration of the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI) sends the documentation to exercise the right to vote to the address shown on your registration in the electoral registration.

You can choose to vote in person or by post at the respective census committee abroad, up to the date of the election, in accordance with paragraph 1, article 79 - F, of the Electoral Law of the Assembly of the Republic (ELAR), approved by Law No. 14/79, of May 16, in its current wording.

Voters registered abroad who do not exercise their right to choose between voting in person or voting by post until the date of the call for each election, vote by post, but can change their option regarding the way in which they exercise their right to vote – by post or in person – at any time, except in the period between the date of scheduling and the date of the election, in accordance with the provisions of paragraphs 2 and 3, of article 79-F, of the ELAR.

If you have not exercised your right of option, you vote by post.

In accordance with article 79, paragraph G, of the ELAR, the Electoral Administration of the General Secretariat of MAI sends the documentation necessary to vote to the address indicated in the electoral register, by the fastest postal route, under registration. The voter receives a ballot paper, in which they indicate their voting option.

Each voting ballot is accompanied by two envelopes:

a) A green envelope, where you must insert the ballot paper folded in quarters and which does not contain any information;

b) A larger white envelope in which you insert the green envelope, (already with the voting ballot folded in quarters inside), as well as a photocopy of the citizen card/identity card, which you close and return by post before election day.

Sending your vote by post is free.

You can exercise your right to vote, in person, at the polling station set up for this purpose at the diplomatic representation in the area where you reside. Voting abroad takes place on March 9, 2024, between 8:00 am and 7:00 pm (local time) and on March 10, 2024, from 8:00 am (local time) until the deadline for exercising the right to vote in the territory national (8 pm, in Lisbon), without exceeding 7 pm local time.

The voter number has been deleted. Therefore, on election day, when appearing before the polling station to exercise your right to vote, simply indicate your name and hand your civil identification document to the president of the board.

In the absence of a civil identification document, you can identify yourself through any other official document that contains an updated photograph or through two voting citizens who attest, under oath, to your identity or, even, through unanimous recognition of the members of the table from the polling station.

You can obtain this information in the fifteen days before the election:

at the Parish Council;
at the City Council;
via the Internet (https://recenseamento.pt);
In national territory, by SMS (write the following message: RE <space> civil identification number without check.digit <space> date of birth YYYYMMDD example: RE 1444880 19531007 and dial 3838), in the 15 days before election day or referendum;
Abroad, by SMS (write the following message: RE <space> civil identification number without check.digit <space> date of birth YYYYMMDD example: RE 1444880 19531007 and dial +351 962 171 000), within 15 days prior to the election day or referendum;
through the Voter Support Line: 808 206 206/+351 213 947 101

230 deputies are elected to the Assembly of the Republic.

Political parties and coalitions of political parties.

Portuguese voting citizens, as well as citizens of Brazilian nationality residing and registered in the national territory, who have the status of equal political rights.

According to articles 5 and 6 of the ELAR, in its current wording, the following cannot apply to the Assembly of the Republic:

a) The President of the Republic;

b) Judicial magistrates or those from the Public Prosecutor's Office currently on duty;

c) Judges in office, not covered by the previous paragraph;

d) Military personnel and elements of militarized forces belonging to permanent staff, while they provide active service;

e) Career diplomats currently in functions;

f) Those who perform diplomatic functions at the date of submission of applications, not covered by the previous paragraph;

g) Members of the National Elections Commission;

h) Directors and heads of finance offices and ministers of any religion or cult with powers of jurisdiction cannot be candidates for the circle in which they carry out their activity;

i) Portuguese citizens who have another nationality cannot be candidates for the electoral constituency that covers the territory of the country of that nationality, when they hold, in bodies of that State, political positions or senior public positions equivalent to these according to the criteria of Portuguese law.

You can, as long as you are registered in the Portuguese voter registration, in national territory or abroad.

Yes, as long as you are not a candidate for the constituency that covers the territory of the country of that nationality and do not hold, in bodies of that State, political positions or senior public positions equivalent to these according to the criteria of Portuguese law.

If you are not a voter, you cannot be a candidate, unless you are a Brazilian citizen with equal political rights, residing in Portugal and registered on the Portuguese electoral register.

Yes. Citizens over the age of 17 who are provisionally registered in the census can join a list of candidates, as long as they turn 18 on election day.

Candidacies are presented before the presiding judge of the district based in the capital of the district or Autonomous Region that constitutes the electoral district.

Applications must be submitted by the 41st day before the election date, that is, by January 29, 2024.

Presenting an application consists of submitting:

List containing the names of the candidates and the representative and the following identification elements: age, affiliation, profession, place of birth, residence, number, identification file and date of the citizen card/identity card;
Declaration of candidacy (in the case of a coalition, the party proposing each of the candidates must be indicated) signed jointly or separately by the candidates, stating that they are not subject to any ineligibility, are not candidates for another constituency, nor are they part of another list of candidacy, and accept the candidacy of the party or electoral coalition proposing the list and agree with the representative indicated on the list.

The documents required to instruct the application process are:

- The certificate from the Constitutional Court, proving the registration of the political party, its date and also, in the case of party coalitions, the certificate from the Constitutional Court, proving the legality and annotation of the coalition;

- The certificate of registration in the electoral register (voter certificate) of the candidates and their representative.

The lists must contain the indication of effective candidates in a number equal to the number of mandates allocated to the electoral district to which they refer and of substitute candidates in a number not less than 2 nor greater than the effective ones, not exceeding 5.

The candidates themselves, the representatives of the list or any citizen representing the political party or coalition can apply.

Voter certificates are issued by census commissions, which operate in parish councils, or candidates and representatives can obtain their voter certificate themselves on the Voter Portal at https://www.portaldoeleitor.pt/.

Yes.

Yes. When not residing at the headquarters of the circle, the agent must choose domicile there in order to be notified by the court.

No, representatives are appointed by political parties and coalitions of competing parties, meaning they represent different interests within the process of evaluating candidacies and throughout the entire electoral process.

Yes, you can withdraw up to 48 hours before election day, through a declaration signed by the candidate, with the signature certified by a notary and presented to the judge where the candidacy was presented.

Yes, however, it is recommended that polling stations be made up of citizens who are not candidates, to avoid any embarrassment during voting and counting operations, with voters, other polling station members or, even, with the list delegates.

Yes, as a candidate you have the right to be exempt from performing your respective duties, whether public or private, in the 30 days prior to the date of the election, counting this time for all purposes, including the right to remuneration, as effective service.

Yes, everyone has that right.

Yes, as there is no incompatibility.

The list delegates on election day are responsible for monitoring and supervising the voting and results tabulation operations.

List delegates enjoy the following rights:

Occupy the seats closest to the voting table, in order to monitor all electoral operations;
Be heard and clarified about all questions that arise during the operation of the board, during the voting or counting phase;
Consult copies of the electoral rolls used by the board at all times;
Present, orally or in writing, complaints, protests or counter-protests within the scope of electoral operations;
Sign the minutes and initial, and seal all documents relating to voting and counting operations;
Obtain all certificates relating to voting and tabulation operations that require.

No. List delegates may not be registered in the electoral register in the parish corresponding to the polling station or section where they will carry out their duties.

Yes, you can.

No, the effective delegate and the substitute cannot perform functions simultaneously. In the absence of the effective delegate, his deputy performs duties and vice versa.

No, list delegates cannot be appointed to replace absent panel members.

No. Due to the legally established duties of neutrality and impartiality, members of State bodies, Autonomous Regions and local authorities, as well as, in that capacity, their respective holders, cannot intervene directly or indirectly in an electoral campaign or carry out any acts that favor or harm one candidacy to the detriment or advantage of another or others, ensuring equal treatment and impartiality in any intervention in electoral procedures.

Yes, list delegates are exempt from the duty to attend their respective jobs or services on election day and the following day, without prejudice to all their rights and benefits. To this purpose, they must present their credential and the certificate issued and signed by the President of the respective board.

Yes, the credential remains valid for the exercise of functions on the date of the repeat election.

Members of polling stations must be registered in the parish where they work and must know how to read and write Portuguese.

The panel members are appointed by agreement between the delegates on the candidate lists present at a meeting held for this purpose at the Parish Council or, in the absence of agreement, by drawing lots to be held by the Mayor, at the municipal council.

The meeting to choose the board members takes place at the headquarters of the Parish Council, until the 24th day before the designated day for the election (until February 15th). Delegates from the lists must be present at this meeting and must be previously called for this purpose, with a precise indication of the date and time, by the respective President of the Parish Council.

No. The President of the Parish Council only calls the meeting, provides access to the Parish Council's facilities, provides logistical support and transmits the chosen names and/or lack of agreement, if any, to the President of the Municipal Council. However, if the delegates present express interest in his presence, he can attend the meeting.

In the absence of agreement, the delegates on the lists indicate in writing, on the 23rd or 22nd day prior to the election, to the Mayor of the City Council, two citizens for each place still to be filled, so that a choice can be made between them, in the within 24 hours, through a draw.

Yes, they can.

Any voter may complain about the choice of board members to the President of the City Council, within two days following the posting of the notice containing the names of the chosen board members.

Candidates are not excluded, therefore, they can be members of the tables, except when the duties of neutrality and impartiality impose on them, namely when they are members of bodies of the State, Autonomous Regions or local authorities, with the duty of refrain from carrying out any acts that favor or harm one candidate to the detriment or advantage of another or others, and the duty to ensure equal treatment and impartiality in any intervention in electoral procedures.

No. As they are members of a local authority body, they cannot, in that capacity, intervene directly or indirectly in the electoral campaign or carry out any acts that favor or harm one candidacy to the detriment or advantage of another or others, and must ensure equal treatment and impartiality in any intervention in electoral procedures. Furthermore, on election day, the president of the Parish Council has functions that, under the terms of the Law, are assigned to him, and must be assisted by the other members of the Executive.

You can register with the electoral agents exchange, at your city council, at your parish council, or via the internet at the Electoral Agents Exchange (BAE) in the reserved area of the Voter Portal at (https://www.portaldoeleitor.pt).

It should be noted, however, that the use of the pool of electoral agents is only activated when the number of citizens selected in general terms is insufficient, either in the designation phase or on the day of the election itself, to replace absent polling station members.

The performance of the duties of a board member, which constitutes a fundamental civic duty, is mandatory, except for reasons of force majeure or just cause.

The justifying reasons for impediment are as follows:

Age over 65 years old;
Illness or physical impossibility proven by the municipal health delegate;
Change of residence to the area of another municipality proven by the parish council of the new residence;
Absence abroad, duly proven; It is,
Carrying out professional activity of an urgent nature, duly proven by the respective hierarchical superior.

You must communicate to the Mayor of the City Council, immediately and no later than three days before the election, justifying, with justification, the reason for this impossibility.

Yes, panel members are exempt from the duty to attend their job or service on election day and the following day, without prejudice to all their rights and benefits.

If you perform functions in national official entities or services, you have the right to be exempt from professional activity on the election day and the following day, without prejudice to all your rights and benefits, including the right to remuneration, and for this purpose you must prove the exercise of the polling station member role.

Board members must provide sufficient proof of carrying out the duties of a board member with the employer.

Table members are given a bonus, exempt from taxation, which in 2023 was in the amount of €56.71. This amount can be updated based on the inflation rate published by INE in February 2024.

In the election for the Assembly of the Republic, all registered voters in the national territory who wish to exercise their right to vote can vote in advance in mobility (article 79-A of the ELAR).

To exercise the right to vote on mobility, at least one polling station is set up in each municipality on the mainland and in the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira.

Yes, you can vote in advance on mobility.

Mobility voting is early voting in a location (any municipality in mainland Portugal or autonomous regions) chosen by the voter.

To this end, you must express this intention, between the 25th and 29th of February, electronically (https://www.votoantecipado.pt/), or by post, to the Electoral Administration of the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Administration, located at Praça do Comércio, Ala Oriental, 1149-015 LISBOA, with the following information:

• Full name;

• Date of birth;

• Civil identification number;

• Household;

• Mobility early voting table where you wish to exercise your right to vote;

• Telephone contact and, whenever possible, email address.

On March 3rd (Sunday before the election), go to the polling station chosen by you and identify yourself by presenting your civil identification document, indicating the parish where you are registered in the electoral register.

Yes, you can vote in advance on mobility. (See FAQ 62 and 63)

Yes, you can vote in advance on mobility. (See FAQ 62 and 63).

Yes, you can vote in advance. To this end, you must apply, by February 19th, to the Electoral Administration of the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Administration, by post or electronically (https://www.votoantecipado.pt/), the exercise of the right to vote in advance, indicating the number of your civil identification document.

Along with the application you must send:

• Document proving the impediment issued by the attending physician and confirmed by the management of the hospital establishment.

Between February 26th and 29th, you must wait, on a previously announced day and time, for the presence of the Mayor, or his representative, at the hospital, to exercise your right to vote.

Yes, you can vote in advance. You must apply by February 19th to the Electoral Administration of the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Administration, by post or electronically (https://www.votoantecipado.pt/) to exercise your right to vote. in advance indicating the civil identification number.

Along with the application you must send:

• Document proving the impediment issued by the director of the prison establishment.

Between February 26th and 29th, you must wait, on a previously announced day and time, for the presence of the Mayor, or his representative, at the prison, to exercise your right to vote.

Yes, you can vote in advance. If you are traveling abroad due to public or private duties, you can exercise your right to vote between February 27th and 29th at diplomatic, consular representations or external delegations of Portuguese ministries and public institutions previously defined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You must carry your Citizen Card, Identity Card or other identification document, with an up-to-date photograph, such as a Driving License or Passport.

Yes, you can vote in advance, as long as the team you represent is organized by a sports federation with public sports utility status. You can exercise your right to vote between the 27th and 29th of February, at diplomatic, consular representations or external delegations of Portuguese ministries and public institutions previously defined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You must carry your Citizen Card, Identity Card or other identification document, with an up-to-date photograph, such as a Driving License or Passport.

Yes, you can vote in advance. If you are traveling abroad, you can exercise your right to vote between the 27th and 29th of February at diplomatic, consular representations or external delegations of Portuguese ministries and public institutions previously defined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You must carry your Citizen Card, Identity Card or other identification document, with an up-to-date photograph, such as a Driving License or Passport.

Yes, you can vote in advance. If you are traveling abroad, you can exercise your right to vote between the 27th and 29th of February, at diplomatic, consular representations or external delegations of Portuguese ministries and public institutions previously defined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You must carry your Citizen Card, Identity Card or other identification document, with an up-to-date photograph, such as a Driving License or Passport.

Yes, you can vote in advance, as can your companion. If you are traveling abroad, you can exercise your right to vote, between February 27th and 29th, at diplomatic, consular representations or external delegations of Portuguese ministries and public institutions previously defined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You must carry your Citizen Card, Identity Card or other identification document, with an up-to-date photograph, such as a Driving License or Passport.

No.

The voter, before the polling station, must indicate his name, identifying himself with the Citizen Card or Identity Card, or failing that, a document that contains an updated photograph and that is usually used for identification.

You can vote by being identified by two voters who vouch for your identity or by unanimous recognition of the panel members.

You can obtain this information, in the fifteen days before the election:

at the Parish Council;
at the City Council;
via the Internet (https://recenseamento.pt);
In national territory, by SMS (write the following message: RE <space> civil identification number without check. digit <space> date of birth YYYYMMDD example: RE 1444880 19531007 and dial 3838), in the 15 days before election day or referendum;
Abroad, by SMS (write the following message: RE <space> civil identification number without check.digit <space> date of birth YYYYMMDD example: RE 1444880 19531007 and dial +351 962 171 000), within 15 days prior to the election day or referendum;
through the Voter Support Line: 808 206 206/+351 213 947 101.

Yes. Portuguese citizens residing abroad registered in the Portuguese electoral register can exercise their right to vote by post or in person, at Portuguese diplomatic representations, if they have exercised their right to opt to vote in person at the census commission to date of scheduling the election.

No. If you have chosen to vote in person, you must exercise your right to vote at the polling station, set up for this purpose, at the diplomatic representation in the area where you reside.

No. Portuguese citizens residing abroad who vote by post exercise their right to vote through the ballot paper that is sent to them at the address on the electoral register.

In national territory, voting takes place, without interruption, from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm. After the voting closing time (7pm) only voters who are inside the polling station or section can vote.

Abroad, voting takes place on the day before the election is scheduled, that is, on March 9, 2024, between 8:00 am and 7:00 pm (local time) and on March 10, 2024, from 8:00 am (local time) until the deadline for exercising the right to vote in national territory (8pm in Lisbon), without exceeding 7pm local time.

Yes. The issuance of the voter card was discontinued in October 2008 and the voter number was eliminated in August 2018. Therefore, to vote you only need to identify yourself with your Citizen Card or Identity Card or, failing that, with document that contains an up-to-date photograph and is commonly used for identification.

No. The vote is cast directly and in person by the voter at the polling station corresponding to the place where he or she is registered in the electoral register.

No. The vote is exercised in person and no form of representation or delegation is permitted.

Accompanied voting is permitted when the voter, affected by a notable illness or physical disability, is determined by the polling station to be unable to exercise the right to vote alone. In this case, the voter votes accompanied by another voter chosen by him/her, who guarantees the faithful expression of his/her vote and who is obliged to maintain absolute secrecy.

If the board has doubts about the need for voters to exercise their right to vote accompanied, it may require that they be presented with a certificate proving the impossibility of carrying out voting acts, issued by the doctor who exercises powers as a health authority in the area of the municipality and authenticated with the seal of the respective service. For this purpose, health centers are open on election day, between 8:00 am and 7:00 pm.

Yes. The table provides Braille matrices to visually impaired voters so that they can exercise their right to vote alone.

The voter enters the voting chamber located in the polling station/section and there, alone, marks the box corresponding to their voting option with a cross. Then fold the ballot paper in four, with the printed part facing inwards.

You must ask the Chairman of the Board for another ballot and return the first one to him. The President puts the note “unused” on the returned bulletin, initials it and keeps it separately.

Inside the polling station and outside it up to a distance of 500 m, no one can reveal which list they will vote for or have voted for.

No, the ballot box cannot, under any circumstances, leave the assembly or voting section. In extreme situations, when absolutely necessary, the polling station members may allow, once delegates from the lists present have been heard, the voter to mark the ballot paper outside the voting chamber, in a place (within the polling section) where it is strictly voting secrecy is preserved.

Voting may be interrupted in the following situations:

When the minimum number (3) of table members are not present;
When the chairman of the board or his deputy is not present; When any disturbance occurs or when there is any disturbance that prevents the normal functioning of voting.
Interruption of electoral operations for more than three hours determines the end of voting.

Yes, any voter registered at the polling station/section (table) or any of the delegates on the candidate lists can complain in writing to the polling table.

The board cannot refuse to receive complaints and must initial them and attach them to the minutes.

No. Downloads on the electoral rolls must be made with a ballpoint pen, in order to make any changes impossible.

In addition to voters who exercise their right to vote there, candidates, representatives and list delegates may be present at the polling station/section, without, however, disturbing operations.

No, electoral propaganda is prohibited inside polling stations/stations and outside them, up to a distance of 500 m. Advertising also means the display of symbols, acronyms, signs, badges or stickers on any list.

Yes, in the vicinity of polling stations/stations, agents from polling companies, duly accredited by the National Elections Commission, can survey voters, after they have exercised their right to vote. That is, it is permitted that enumerators can be close to voting locations, but they are prohibited from being present inside the rooms where voting operations take place.

No. The publication of poll results is prohibited from the end of the electoral campaign until the polls close throughout the national territory.

In general terms no, however the following aspects must be taken into account:

It is prohibited to advertise, directly or indirectly, by any means on the eve and day of the election;
It is prohibited to disturb the regular functioning of polling stations or sections;
Hunting is prohibited on election day.

The holding of these events is not prohibited at all, and it is absolutely necessary that they do not disturb or harm the exercise of voters' right to vote and the normal functioning of electoral operations, and must take place in a location sufficiently distant from the polling stations/stations.

Likewise, when holding events that involve the mass movement of voters outside the areas of their respective parishes, the date of elections or referendums must be avoided.

Yes, hunting is prohibited under the terms of no. 4 of article 89 of Decree-Law no. 201/2005, of the 24th November.

The count consists of determining the results of the election. In this election, the tabulation has two phases: the partial tabulation, carried out after the end of voting at the polling station/section, and the general tabulation, carried out at the general tabulation assembly set up in each electoral district for this purpose.

After the polls close, the results are counted at the voting assembly/section itself, carrying out the following operations:

Counting unused and unused ballot papers;

Counting voters based on entries made in the registers;

Opening the ballot box and counting the votes entered, which, after being counted, must be reinserted into the ballot box. If the number of voters counted by the polls is not equal to the number of votes entered in the ballot box, the latter will be the number that prevails;

Publication of a notice indicating the number of ballots entered in the ballot box, which, after being read aloud by the president, will be posted on the main door of the polling station;

Subsequently, one of the scrutineers unfolds the voting slips, one by one, and announces out loud which list was voted, while the other records on a white sheet, or on the download sheets, if possible on a clearly visible board, the votes assigned for each list, blank votes and invalid votes;

Counting of votes on the lists, blank and invalid;

Publication of a notice to be posted on the main door of the building of the assembly or voting section detailing the number of votes on each list, the number of blank votes and the number of invalid votes.

A null vote is considered:

One that has a cross in more than one square;

Anyone who is marked on a list as having given up;

One that contains any cut, drawing, erasure or on which any word has been written;

Early voting and postal voting when the ballot does not arrive under the legally stipulated conditions, that is, received in an envelope that is not properly sealed.

Voting ballots that contain a cross that is not very well designed or that goes outside the square, but that unequivocally signals the voter's will, should not be considered invalid.

A ballot paper that does not contain any type of mark is considered a blank vote.

No. Blank votes and invalid votes are not considered validly cast votes, and therefore have no influence on the calculation of the number of votes obtained by each candidate, nor on their conversion into mandates.

Yes. The secretary of the board prepares the minutes of the voting and partial tabulation operations, which must include:

Civil identification numbers and names of board members and list delegates;

The opening and closing time of voting, as well as the location of the assembly or voting section;

The decisions made by the board during voting and counting operations;

The total number of registered voters and voters;

The civil identification numbers of voters who voted in advance;

The number of votes obtained by each list, the number of blank votes and the number of invalid votes;

The number of voting papers on which there has been a complaint or protest;

Counting discrepancies, if any, with precise indication of the differences noted;

The number of complaints, protests and counter-protests attached to the minutes;

Any other occurrences that the board deems pertinent to mention.

These minutes are intended, after being signed by the board members and delegates from the candidate lists present, to be sent to the General Tabulation Assembly.

The counting of election results is carried out by a General Tabulation Assembly in each electoral district.

The General Tabulation Assembly has the following composition:

The presiding judge of the district court with headquarters in the capital of the electoral district or, if this is impossible or if it is more convenient, the judicial magistrate of a section of the district's central instance, in which he delegates, which he presides over, with a casting vote;
Two jurists chosen by the president;
Two Mathematics teachers who teach at the headquarters of the electoral district, appointed by the Minister of Education and Science or, in autonomous regions, by the Representative of the Republic;
Six presidents of the voting assembly or section appointed by the district court with jurisdiction at the headquarters of the district or Autonomous Region;
A secretary of justice from the headquarters of the district court, appointed by the president, after consulting the judicial administrator, who serves as secretary, without voting.

The General Tabulation Assembly must be constituted by the day before election day, with a notice being published, posted on the door of the building designated for this purpose, containing the names of the citizens who make up the assembly.

The general tabulation operations begin at 9 am on the 2nd day after the election, at the place designated for this purpose by the President of the General Tabulation Assembly.

The general count must be completed by the 10th day after the election, with the results proclaimed by the president and then published by means of a notice posted on the door of the building where the respective assembly was held.

Previously, the general counting assembly decides on the voting papers in relation to which there has been a complaint or protest, correcting, if necessary, the counting of the respective polling station.

It also checks the ballots considered invalid, reviews them according to a uniform criterion, and corrects, if necessary, the count at each of the polling stations.

The general tabulation assembly then begins the work, which consists of the following:

Verification of the total number of registered voters and voters in the electoral district;
Verification of the total number of votes obtained by each list, the number of blank votes and the number of invalid votes;
Distribution of deputy mandates across the various lists;
Determination of candidates elected by each list.

In polling stations/stations with more than 100 voters registered for in-person voting, after the polls close, the results are counted at the polling station/section itself, under general terms. (see FAQ 105). After the partial count, the President of the polling station sends, preferably through diplomatic channels, to the President of the General Tabulation Assembly of the respective constituency, the electoral rolls, minutes, invalid ballots and those for which there has been a complaint or protest, after initialing, and other documents relating to the vote.

In polling stations/stations with less than 100 voters registered for in-person voting, ballot papers are introduced in closed and sealed envelopes, in the presence of voters who remain in the assembly, together with the electoral rolls and a minute, containing the number of voters registered to vote in person and the number of voters. The envelopes are sent immediately, preferably via diplomatic channels, to the assembly for collecting and counting the votes of Portuguese voters residing abroad, in the corresponding constituency, so that the count can be carried out there by the respective table.

Assembly of the Republic

RIGHT TO VOTE

NOMINATIONS

DELEGATES OF APPLICATION LISTS

POLLING STATION MEMBERS

EARLY VOTE

VOTING

TABULATION ON NATIONAL TERRITORY

TABULATION OF PRESENTIAL VOTING ABROAD

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