Elections in Portugal

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Elections in Portugal gives information on election and election results in Portugal.

Only the elections since the Carnation Revolution of 1974 are listed here. During the period encompassing the Constitutional Monarchy and the First Republic there were also elections, but only for a limited universe of voters. During the Estado Novo regime, from 1926 to 1974, the few elections held were not up to the democratic standards of their time and never resulted in power transfer.

Portugal elects on a national level the President and the national Parliament, the Assembly of the Republic. The President is elected for a five-year term by the people while the Parliament has 230 members, elected for a four-year term by proportional representation in multi-seat constituencies, the districts. Also on a national level, Portugal elects 21 members of the European Parliament.

The Autonomous Regions of Azores and Madeira elect their own regional government for a four-year term, usually on the same day. The first regional elections were held in 1976.

On a local level, 308 Municipal Chambers and Municipal Assemblies and 3,092[1] Parish Assemblies are elected for a four-year term in separate elections that usually occur on the same day.

Latest elections

2015 Parliamentary election

 Summary of the 4 October 2015 Assembly of the Republic elections results
Parties Votes % ±pp swing MPs MPs %/
votes %
2011 2015 ± % ±
Portugal Ahead (PSD / CDS–PP)[lower-alpha 1] 1,993,50436.86Decrease10.9124102Decrease2244.35Decrease10.51.20
Socialist Party 1,747,73032.32Increase4.37486Increase1237.39Increase5.21.16
Left Bloc 550,94510.19Increase5.0819Increase118.26Increase4.80.81
Unitary Democratic Coalition 445,9018.25Increase0.41617Increase17.39Increase0.40.90
Social Democratic[lower-alpha 2] 81,0411.49 N/A75Decrease22.17Decrease0.91.45
People-Animals-Nature 75,1701.39Increase0.401Increase10.43Increase0.40.31
Democratic Republican 61,9201.13 N/A N/A0 N/A0.00 N/A0.0
Workers' Communist Party 60,0451.11Decrease0.000Steady00.00Steady0.00.0
FREE/Time to move Foward 39,3300.73 N/A N/A0 N/A0.00 N/A0.0
National Renovator Party 27,2860.50Increase0.200Steady00.00Steady0.00.0
Earth Party 22,6270.42Increase0.000Steady00.00Steady0.00.0
We, the Citizens! 21,3820.40 N/A N/A0 N/A0.00 N/A0.0
Labour / Socialist Alternative (ACT!) 20,7930.38 N/A N/A0 N/A0.00 N/A0.0
People's Monarchist 14,9160.28Increase0.000Steady00.00Steady0.00.0
Together for the People 14,2750.26 N/A N/A0 N/A0.00 N/A0.0
United Party of Retirees and Pensioners 13,8990.26 N/A N/A0 N/A0.00 N/A0.0
People's[lower-alpha 3] 7,4960.14 N/A10Decrease10.00Decrease0.40.0
People's / People's Monarchist[lower-alpha 4] 3,6240.07 N/A00Steady00.00Steady0.00.0
Christian Democratic and Citizenship 2,685 0.05Decrease0.100Steady00.00Steady0.00.0
Labour[lower-alpha 5] 1,7440.03 N/A00Steady00.00Steady0.00.0
Total valid 5,206,113 96.27 Increase0.4 230 230 Steady0 100.00 Steady0.0 —
Blank ballots 112,9552.09Decrease0.6
Invalid ballots 89,0241.65Increase0.3
Total (turnout 55.84%) 5,408,092 100.00 Decrease2.2
Source: Diário da República - Resultados Oficias

2016 Presidential election

Summary of the 24 January 2016 Portuguese presidential election results

 
Candidates Supporting parties First round
Votes %
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa Social Democratic Party, People's Party, People's Monarchist Party 2,413,956 52.00
António Sampaio da Nóvoa Independent supported by the Portuguese Workers' Communist Party, LIVRE 1,062,138 22.88
Marisa Matias Left Bloc, Socialist Alternative Movement 469,814 10.12
Maria de Belém Independent 196,765 4.24
Edgar Silva Portuguese Communist Party 183,051 3.94
Vitorino Silva Independent 152,374 3.28
Paulo de Morais Independent 100,191 2.16
Henrique Neto Independent 39,163 0.84
Jorge Sequeira Independent 13,954 0.30
Cândido Ferreira Independent 10,609 0.23
Total valid 4,642,015 100.00
Blank ballots 58,964 1.24
Invalid ballots 43,588 0.92
Total (turnout 48.66%) 4,744,597
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

Past elections and referendums

Election results 1975-2015

Summary of Portuguese elections for the Assembly of the Republic, 1975-2015
Election year PCP MDP PS PSD CDS UDP APU AD FRS PRD CDU PSN BE PAN PàF Oth Inv Turnout
1975* 12.5 4.1 37.9 26.4 7.6 0.8 - - - - - - - - - 3.7 7.0 91.7
1976 14.4 - 34.9 24.4 16.0 1.7 - - - - - - - - - 3.9 4.7 83.5
1979 - - 27.3 2.4 0.4 2.2 18.8 42.5 - - - - - - - 3.7 2.7 82.9
1980 - - 1.1 2.5 0.2 1.4 16.8 44.9 26.7 - - - - - - 4.1 2.3 83.9
1983 . - 36.1 27.2 12.6 0.5 18.1 - - - - - - - - 3.0 2.5 77.8
1985 - - 20.8 29.9 10.0 1.3 15.5 - - 17.9 - - - - - 2.1 2.5 74.2
1987 - 0.6 22.2 50.2 4.4 0.9 - - - 4.9 12.1 - - - - 2.5 2.2 71.6
1991 - - 29.1 50.6 4.4 0.1 - - - 0.6 8.8 1.7 - - - 2.8 1.9 67.8
1995 - - 43.8 34.1 9.1 0.6 - - - - 8.6 0.2 - - - 1.7 1.9 66.3
1999 - - 44.1 32.3 8.3 - - - - - 9.0 0.2 2.4 - - 1.7 2.0 61.1
2002 - - 37.8 40.2 8.7 - - - - - 6.9 0.0 2.7 - - 1.7 2.0 61.5
2005 - - 45.0 28.8 7.2 - - - - - 7.5 - 6.4 - - 2.2 2.9 64.3
2009 - - 36.6 29.1 10.4 - - - - - 7.9 - 9.8 - - 3.1 3.1 59.7
2011 - - 28.1 38.7 11.4 - - - - - 7.9 - 5.2 1.0 - 3.4 4.1 58.0
2015 - - 32.3 1.5 0.2 - - - - - 8.3 - 10.2 1.4 36.9 5.5 3.7 55.8
*The 1975 election was for the Constituent Assembly; Oth: Other parties; Inv: Invalid/Blank votes.
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

Autonomous Regions elections

Portugal has two autonomous regions, Azores and Madeira, that elect their own representatives for the regional parliaments every 4 years. The first elections were in 1976 and usually they were both held in the same day until 2007 when Madeira held an early election and Azores held its election the next year. The last election in Azores was in October 2016, and Madeira held a snap election in March 2015.

European Parliament elections

Referendums

The Constitution of Portugal defines referendum in Article 115.[2] The referendum is called by the President of Portugal, on a proposal submitted by the Assembly or the Government. The President can refuse a proposal for referendum submitted to him by the Assembly or the Government if it is found to be unconstitutional or illegal. Referendums are binding if turnout is higher than 50% of registered voters.

Citizens of Portugal have the right to submit to the Assembly an initiative for a referendum.

The referendum can be held only on "important issues concerning the national interest which the Assembly of the Republic or the Government must decide by approving an international convention or passing a legislative act" (paragraph 3[2]). The referendum cannot be held on amendments to the Constitution, budget, taxes, finances and competences of the Assembly, except when issue is the object of an international convention, except when the international convention concerns peace or the rectification of borders.

There have been four nationwide referendums in the History of Portugal:

The Constitutional referendum of 1933 did not comply with the standards of a democratic suffrage, as, for example, abstentions were counted as supportive votes. It resulted in the establishing of the Estado Novo regime.

The later three referendums, held in the context of a Western-style liberal democracy had turnout less than 50%, so they were not binding. Nonetheless, decissions of all three referendums were honoured.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Electoral lists only in continental Portugal.
  2. ↑ Electoral list only in Madeira and Azores.
  3. ↑ Electoral list only in Madeira.
  4. ↑ Electoral list only in Azores.
  5. ↑ Electoral list only in Madeira.

References

  1. ↑ DGAI - Reorganização Administrativa do Território das Freguesias - (RATF)
  2. 1 2 "Constitution of Protugal" (PDF). Party Law in Modern Europe. Retrieved 2013-11-05.

External links

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