The Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, exercised his right to vote early for the second round of the presidential elections this Sunday (February 1). In a statement marked by the emergency context caused by the Kristin depression, the head of the Executive appealed to the Portuguese not to give up participating in choosing the country’s future, despite the logistical difficulties caused by the bad weather.
Luís Montenegro voted for Escola Básica de 1º CEB nº2 de Espinho, in the district of Aveiro, his area of residence. Through the social network
“We must fulfill our democracy with a sense of responsibility and participate in choices about our collective future,” he wrote. Montenegro reinforced confidence in national resilience, stating that the country is capable of “overcoming moments of trial” with a “sense of ambition”.
Record attendance and meteorological constraints
According to data from the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Administration (SGMAI), participation in early mobility voting registered significant growth in this second round, with 308,501 registered — an increase of around 90 thousand voters compared to the first vote.
Lisbon leads the list of registrants (89,689), followed by Porto (50,518) and Setúbal (26,580). However, the effects of Storm Kristin forced last-minute changes. Six municipalities — Vieira do Minho, Alvaiázere, Leiria, Torres Vedras, Alcácer do Sal and Silves — saw their voting locations transferred for security and operational reasons.
This Sunday’s early voting serves as a precursor to the decisive day, February 8, where the Portuguese will choose between António José Seguro (who obtained 31.11% in the first round) and André Ventura (23.52%).
The winner of this ballot will assume the leadership of the State in March, succeeding Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who is now finishing his second and final constitutional term.
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