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

2011 Parliamentary election

 Summary of the 5 June 2011 Assembly of the Republic elections results

Parties		Votes	%	±pp swing	MPs					MPs %/ votes %
					2009	2011	±	%	±
	Social Democratic	2,159,181	38.66	9.6	81	108	27	46.96	11.7	1.21
	Socialist	1,566,347	28.05	8.5	97	74	23	32.17	10.0	1.15
	People's	653,888	11.71	1.3	21	24	3	10.43	1.3	0.89
	Democratic Unity Coalition[A]	441,147	7.90	0.0	15	16	1	6.96	0.4	0.88
	Left Bloc	288,923	5.17	4.6	16	8	8	3.48	3.5	0.67
	Workers' Communist Party	62,610	1.12	0.2	0	0	0	0.00	0.0	0.0
	Party for Animals and Nature	57,995	1.04	—	—	0	—	0.00	—	0.0
	Earth Party	22,705	0.41	0.3	0	0	0	0.00	0.0	0.0
	Hope for Portugal Movement	21,942	0.39	0.1	0	0	0	0.00	0.0	0.0
	National Renovator Party	17,548	0.31	0.1	0	0	0	0.00	0.0	0.0
	Portuguese Labour Party	16,895	0.30	0.2	0	0	0	0.00	0.0	0.0
	People's Monarchist Party	14,687	0.26	0.0	0	0	0	0.00	0.0	0.0
	New Democracy	11,806	0.21	0.2	0	0	0	0.00	0.0	0.0
	Portugal Pro-Life	8,209	0.15	0.0	0	0	0	0.00	0.0	0.0
	Workers Party of Socialist Unity	4,572	0.08	0.0	0	0	0	0.00	0.0	0.0
	Democratic Party of the Atlantic	4,569	0.08	—	—	0	—	0.00	—	0.0
	Humanist Party	3,588	0.06	—	—	0	—	0.00	—	0.0
Total valid		5,357,037	95.92	1.0	230	230	0	100.00	0.0	—
Blank ballots		148,618	2.66	0.9
Invalid ballots		79,399	1.42	0.1
Total (turnout 58.03%)		5,585,054	100.00	1.7
A Portuguese Communist Party (14 MPs) and "The Greens" (2 MPs) ran in coalition.[2]
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

2011 Presidential election

Summary of the 23 January 2011 Portuguese presidential election results

Past elections and referendums

Elections and referendums in Portugal Parliamentary elections 1820 1822 1826 1834 1836 (Jul) 1836 (Nov) 1838 1840 1842 1845 1847 1851 1852 1856 1858 1860 1861 1864 1865 1868 1869 1870 (Mar) 1870 (Sep) 1871 1874 1878 1879 1881 1884 1887 1889 1890 1892 1894 1895 1897 1899 1900 1901 1904 1905 1906 (Apr) 1906 (Aug) 1908 1910 1911* 1915 1918 1919 1921 1922 1925 1934 1938 1942 1945 1949 1953 1957 1961 1965 1969 1973 1975* 1976 1979 1980 1983 1985 1987 1991 1995 1999 2002 2005 2009 2011 2015 Presidential elections 1911** 1915 (May)** 1915 (Aug)** 1918 (Apr) 1918 (Dec)** 1919** 1923** 1925** 1928 1935 1942 1949 1951 1958 1965** 1972** 1976 1980 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 Local elections 1976 1979 1982 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 European elections 1987 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 Referendums 1933 1998 (Jun) 1998 (Nov) 2007 * Constituent Assembly   ** Indirect elections See also: Elections in Azores Madeira

Election results 1975-2015

Summary of Portuguese elections for the Assembly of the Republic, 1975-2015

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 it's election the next year. The last election in Azores was in 2012, and the next election is scheduled for October 2016 ; Madeira held a snap election in March 2015.

• Elections in Azores
• Elections in Madeira

European Parliament elections

• European Parliament election, 1987
• European Parliament election, 1989
• European Parliament election, 1994
• European Parliament election, 1999
• European Parliament election, 2004
• European Parliament election, 2009
• European Parliament election, 2014

Referendums

The Constitution of Portugal defines referendum in Article 115.^[3] 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^[3]). 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 three referendums in modern Portugal:

• abortion referendum of 1998
• regionalisation referendum of 1998
• abortion referendum of 2007

All three referendums had turnout less than 50%, so they were not binding. Nonetheless, decissions of all three referendums were honoured.

There was also a constitutional referendum in 1933 establishing Estado Novo.

See also

• Electoral calendar
• Electoral system
• Portuguese Legislative Elections

References

External links

• Adam Carr's Election Archive
• Parties and elections
• Election results
• Comissão Nacional de Eleições
• Portuguese General Elections since 1820

Elections and referendums in Portugal Parliamentary elections 1820 1822 1826 1834 1836 (Jul) 1836 (Nov) 1838 1840 1842 1845 1847 1851 1852 1856 1858 1860 1861 1864 1865 1868 1869 1870 (Mar) 1870 (Sep) 1871 1874 1878 1879 1881 1884 1887 1889 1890 1892 1894 1895 1897 1899 1900 1901 1904 1905 1906 (Apr) 1906 (Aug) 1908 1910 1911* 1915 1918 1919 1921 1922 1925 1934 1938 1942 1945 1949 1953 1957 1961 1965 1969 1973 1975* 1976 1979 1980 1983 1985 1987 1991 1995 1999 2002 2005 2009 2011 2015 Presidential elections 1911** 1915 (May)** 1915 (Aug)** 1918 (Apr) 1918 (Dec)** 1919** 1923** 1925** 1928 1935 1942 1949 1951 1958 1965** 1972** 1976 1980 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 Local elections 1976 1979 1982 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 European elections 1987 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 Referendums 1933 1998 (Jun) 1998 (Nov) 2007 * Constituent Assembly   ** Indirect elections See also: Elections in Azores Madeira