Voting in Portuguese elections

Enrolment in the Electoral Register is automatic. 
From the age of 18, any national can exercise his or her right to vote.

• Voter number

The voter number has been eliminated. Therefore, in order to exercise your right to vote, you only need to appear at the polling station accompanied by your identification document/Citizen Card.

Enrolment in the Electoral Register is carried out according to the address indicated on the Citizen Card, both for nationals residing in national territory and for nationals residing abroad. It is therefore important that you keep your address updated on your Citizen Card.

In case you have changed residence, if you have not changed the address on your Citizen Card, your voting location will remain associated with the previous address. You must, however, carry out and confirm the change of address on the Citizen Card before the 60-day period prior to any election in order for the new voting location to take effect.

Learn more about the change of address on your Citizen Card at the gov.pt portal.

You can find out where your voting location is

It is only possible to know the place of voting in the 15 days before each election or referendum. Outside this period, you can only check in which parish council you are registered.

Online

On the voter registry portal: 

• with your civil identification number - enter your civil identification number (on the Citizen Card or the Identity Card) and your date of birth in YYYYMMDD format
•  with your name - enter your full name and date of birth in YYYYMMDD format

Through an SMS:

1. write the following message: RE <space> Civil identification number <space> date of birth in YYYYMMDD format (example: RE 12345678 19531007)
2. and send it to 3838 (free service).

Face to face, in a parish council or town hall.

There are two ways to vote in Portuguese elections:

• In person
• By post

It is not possible to vote by email, online, or through any other electronic means.

In person:

1. On the scheduled election or referendum day, go to your polling station and present your identification document or the gov.pt mobile app to the polling staff.
2. The ballot paper will be handed to you by the chairperson of the polling station. In local elections, you will receive 3 ballot papers (for the Municipal Council, Municipal Assembly, and Parish Assembly).
3. Go to the voting booth and mark an X in the box next to the list or candidate you wish to vote for. In a referendum, mark an X in either the “YES” or “NO” option. If you damage the ballot paper, return it to the chairperson and request a new one.
4. Fold the ballot paper into four, with the printed side facing inwards.
5. Return to the polling table and hand the folded ballot to the chairperson, who will place it in the ballot box. In local elections, voters themselves place the ballot in the box.

If a voter has a visible illness or physical disability and is unable to vote without assistance, they may choose someone to help them.

The polling staff may require a certificate proving the need for assistance, issued by the local health authority. Health centres will be open on election day for this purpose.

Those responsible for companies or essential services operating on election day should allow time off so that employees can exercise their right to vote.

By Post:

All Portuguese citizens registered abroad who do not wish to vote in person can vote by post. If you do not opt for in-person voting, you will receive at the address linked to your Citizen Card an envelope containing:

• The ballot paper
• A green envelope
• A white envelope (postage paid)
• Instructions on how to vote and send the envelope.

How to vote:

1. Mark your choice on the ballot paper with an X and fold it in four.

2. Place the ballot paper inside the green envelope and seal it.

3. Insert the green envelope and a copy of your identification document (Citizen Card, Identity Card, or passport) into the white envelope.

4. Send the white envelope by post before the deadline stated in the instructions. The white envelope is postage-paid, so no stamp is required.

You can track the delivery status of your letter via the Electoral Portal, using your civil identification number and date of birth.

The ballot paper contains the names, acronyms and symbols of all competing parties and coalitions. The order in which they appear on the ballot paper is the result of the drawings carried out by the courts provided for in the Law.

Example of a ballot paper for the election of the Assembly of the Republic:

The vote is considered null in the following situations:

• when more than one square is ticked or when there is doubt as to which square is ticked
• when the square of a list which has withdrawn from the elections or which has not been admitted is ticked
• when the ballot paper has been cut, drawn on, erased or any word has been written
• in cases of early voting, when the ballot paper does not reach the polling station in the legally prescribed conditions or is received in an envelope that is not duly closed.

The ballot paper that does not have any type of trademark is considered a blank vote.

Blank votes, as well as null votes, which are not validly cast, shall not influence the calculation of the number of votes obtained by each candidacy and their conversion into mandates.

Even if the number of blank or null votes is in the majority, the election shall be valid and the mandates shall be established taking into account the votes validly cast in the candidacies.

Citizens who are prevented from going to the polling station on election day may vote early.

Early voting covers the following situations:

• hospitalized patients
• prisoners not deprived of political rigths
• citizens in mobility
• citizens abroad.

How to Request an Early Vote

If you want to vote before election day and you are registered in Portugal, you can vote in advance at any polling station of your choice. To do so, you must request an early vote from the electoral administration of the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Administration. 

The deadline for requesting an early vote changes depending on the type of request being made:

people in hospital - until the 20th day before the day of the election
people in prison - until the 20th day before the day of the election
people on the move - between the 14th and 10th day before the day of the election.
people travelling abroad - between the 12th and 10th day before the day of the election.

You can request a mobile vote:

• Online, on the Voto Antecipado website
• By mail, to Praça do Comércio, Ala Oriental - 1149-015, Lisboa.

In the letter you must indicate:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Civil identification number
• Address
• Municipality where you want to vote in advance
• Email and/or telephone number

On the day of the election, go to your chosen polling station with your identification document (Citizen's Card or Identity Card) and indicate the parish where you are registered.

For more information, consult the early voting page on the Voter's Portal. 

For more information, see the Frequently Asked Questions page on the Voter's Portal.