MADRID, January 18. /TASS/. Portugal is holding presidential elections on Sunday with a record number of candidates (11 (10 men and 1 woman) vying for the highest state office.
Polling stations will open at 8:00 a.m. local time and remain open until 7:00 p.m.
Preliminary results are expected to be announced that night.
According to the country's law, the president is elected by universal suffrage, direct and secret, for a five-year term. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, a runoff election will be held on February 8.
The current head of state, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, took office in 2016 and was re-elected in 2021. He cannot run again, as the country’s law prohibits three consecutive terms.
Within the Portuguese political system, the president serves as the head of state with primarily ceremonial duties, though the president holds some political influence and can dissolve Parliament during a crisis.
One of the contenders for the highest state post is Andre Ventura, leader of the far-right party Chega. This political force significantly improved its position following the 2025 elections, increasing its representation in the 230-seat parliament by 10.
The candidates also include former Socialist Party Secretary General Antonio Jose Seguro, a supporter of the center-right Social Democratic Party, Luis Marques Mendes, and MEP Joao Cotrim de Figueiredo, endorsed by the Liberal Initiative party.
If none of the candidates secures more than 50% of the vote in the first round, only the two candidates with the most votes will advance to the second round. The last time this happened was in 1986.