The government has named the day for local council elections. Sunday, October 1st will see voters choose their councils.
The Minister of the Presidency, Maria Manuel Leitão Marques, made the announcement after Thursday’s meeting of the Council of Ministers to name the date “for holding the general elections for representative bodies of local authorities.”
According to the Electoral Law of Local Authorities, the date of the municipal elections must be set by a Government decree at least 80 days in advance of the election day.
Also according to the law, these elections have to take place between September 22nd and October 14th and have to fall on a Sunday or on a national holiday.
Voting day consists of three separate elections in the 308 Portuguese municipalities, the election for the Municipal Chambers, whose winner is elected as mayor, another election for the Municipal Assembly, as well as an election for the lower-level Parish Assembly, whose winner is elected parish president. This last election will be held for more than 3,000 parishes, or 'freguesias' around the country.
All 308 municipalities are allocated a certain number of councilors to elect, corresponding to the number of registered voters in a given municipality. Each party or coalition must present a list of candidates.
The lists are closed and the seats in each municipality are apportioned according to the D'Hondt method. Unlike in national legislative elections, independent lists are allowed to run.
The main political forces that will be involved in the election are:
Left Bloc (BE)
People's Party (CDS–PP) (only in some municipalities)*
Democratic Unity Coalition (CDU)
People–Animals–Nature (PAN)
Socialist Party (PS)
Social Democratic Party (PSD) (only in some municipalities)*
* The PSD and the CDS–PP will also form coalitions in several municipalities with the Earth Party (MPT) and the People's Monarchist Party (PPM).
European Union citizens can vote in local elections immediately after arriving in Portugal. No minimum period of residence is required.
To be able to vote, they must
- be aged over 18
- be on the local authority's electoral roll
- be legally resident in Portugal
- not be debarred from voting in their country of origin.
EU citizens can register with the registry commissions (comissões recenseadoras). They are registered in the constituency corresponding to their place of residence as stated on their valid residence card (título de residência), registration certificate (Certificado de Registo) or EU citizen's permanent residence certificate (Certificado de Residência Permanente de Cidadão da UE).
For this purpose they must
- submit a valid identity document
- provide proof of legal residence in Portugal, in the form of an EU citizen's registration certificate (Certificado de Registo de cidadão da UE) or an EU citizen's permanent residence certificate (Certificado de Residência Permanente de cidadão da UE).
Voting is voluntary, so there is no penalty of any kind for not doing so.
