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| Constitution |
Elections in Portugal are free, fair, and regularly held, in accordance with election law.[1]
Only the elections since theCarnation Revolution of 1974 are listed here. During the period encompassing theConstitutional Monarchy and theFirst Republic there were also elections, but only for a limited universe of voters. During theEstado 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 thePresident and the national Parliament, theAssembly 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 byproportional representation in multi-seatconstituencies, thedistricts. Also on a national level, Portugal elects 21 members of theEuropean 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, 308Municipal Chambers and Municipal Assemblies and 3,092[2]Parish Assemblies are elected for a four-year term in separate elections that usually occur on the same day.
TheAssembly of the Republic has 230 members elected to four-year terms. Governments do not require absolute majority support of the Assembly to hold office, as even if the number of opposers of government is larger than that of the supporters, the number of opposers still needs to be equal or greater than 116 (absolute majority) for both the Government's Programme to be rejected or for amotion of no confidence to be approved.[3]
The number of seats assigned to each district depends on thedistrict magnitude.[4] The use of thed'Hondt method makes for a higher effective threshold than certain other allocation methods such as theHare quota orSainte-Laguë method, which are more generous to small parties.[5]
For the2025 legislative elections, the MPs were distributed by districts as follows:[6]
| District | Number of MPs | Map |
|---|---|---|
| Lisbon | 48 |  |
| Porto | 40 | |
| Braga andSetúbal | 19 | |
| Aveiro | 16 | |
| Leiria | 10 | |
| Coimbra,Faro andSantarém | 9 | |
| Viseu | 8 | |
| Madeira | 6 | |
| Azores,Viana do Castelo andVila Real | 5 | |
| Castelo Branco | 4 | |
| Beja,Bragança,Évora andGuarda | 3 | |
| Portalegre, Europe and Outside Europe | 2 |
Parties are listed from left-wing to right-wing.
| Election | UDP | BE | MDP | PCP | PEV | L | PS | PAN | JPP | PRD | PSD | CDS | PPM | ADIM | PSN | IL | CH | O/I | Turnout | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975* | 0.8 1 | 4.1 5 | 12.5 30 | 37.9 116 | 26.4 81 | 7.6 16 | 0.6 0 | 0.0 1 | 10.1 0 | 91.7 | ||||||||||||
| 1976 | 1.7 1 | 14.4 40 | 34.9 107 | 24.4 73 | 16.0 42 | 0.5 0 | 8.1 0 | 83.5 | ||||||||||||||
| 1979[a][b] | 2.2 1 | 18.8 47 | 27.3 74 | 45.3 128 | 6.2 0 | 82.9 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1980[c] | 1.4 1 | 16.8 41 | 27.8 74 | 47.6 134 | 6.4 0 | 83.9 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1983[d] | 0.5 0 | 18.1 44 | 36.1 101 | 27.2 75 | 12.6 30 | 0.5 0 | 5.0 0 | 77.8 | ||||||||||||||
| 1985 | 1.3 0 | 15.5 38 | 20.8 57 | 17.9 45 | 29.9 88 | 10.0 22 | 4.6 0 | 74.2 | ||||||||||||||
| 1987[e] | 0.9 0 | 0.6 0 | 12.1 31 | 22.2 60 | 4.9 7 | 50.2 148 | 4.4 4 | 0.4 0 | 4.3 0 | 71.6 | ||||||||||||
| 1991 | 0.1 0 | 8.8 17 | 29.1 72 | 0.6 0 | 50.6 135 | 4.4 5 | 0.4 0 | 1.7 1 | 4.3 0 | 67.8 | ||||||||||||
| 1995 | 0.6 0 | 8.6 15 | 43.8 112 | 34.1 88 | 9.1 15 | 0.2 0 | 3.6 0 | 66.3 | ||||||||||||||
| 1999 | 2.4 2 | 9.0 17 | 44.1 115 | 32.3 81 | 8.3 15 | 0.3 0 | 0.2 0 | 3.4 0 | 61.1 | |||||||||||||
| 2002 | 2.7 3 | 6.9 12 | 37.8 96 | 40.2 105 | 8.7 14 | 0.2 0 | 0.0 0 | 3.5 0 | 61.5 | |||||||||||||
| 2005 | 6.4 8 | 7.5 14 | 45.0 121 | 28.8 75 | 7.2 12 | 5.1 0 | 64.3 | |||||||||||||||
| 2009 | 9.8 16 | 7.9 15 | 36.6 97 | 29.1 81 | 10.4 21 | 0.3 0 | 5.9 0 | 59.7 | ||||||||||||||
| 2011 | 5.2 8 | 7.9 16 | 28.0 74 | 1.0 0 | 38.7 108 | 11.7 24 | 0.3 0 | 7.2 0 | 58.0 | |||||||||||||
| 2015[f] | 10.2 19 | 8.3 17 | 0.7 0 | 32.3 86 | 1.4 1 | 0.3 0 | 38.6 107 | 0.3 0 | 8.2 0 | 55.8 | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | 9.5 19 | 6.3 12 | 1.1 1 | 36.3 108 | 3.3 4 | 0.2 0 | 27.8 79 | 4.2 5 | 0.2 0 | 1.3 1 | 1.3 1 | 8.7 0 | 48.6 | |||||||||
| 2022 | 4.4 5 | 4.3 6 | 1.3 1 | 41.4 120 | 1.6 1 | 0.2 0 | 29.1 77 | 1.6 0 | 0.0 0 | 4.9 8 | 7.2 12 | 4.2 0 | 51.5 | |||||||||
| 2024[g] | 4.4 5 | 3.2 4 | 3.2 4 | 28.0 78 | 1.9 1 | 0.3 0 | 28.8 80 | 4.9 8 | 18.1 50 | 7.5 0 | 59.9 | |||||||||||
| 2025[h] | 2.0 1 | 2.9 3 | 4.1 6 | 22.8 58 | 1.4 1 | 0.3 1 | 31.8 91 | 0.1 0 | 5.4 9 | 22.8 60 | 6.4 0 | 58.3 | ||||||||||
| *The 1975 election was for theConstituent Assembly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source:Comissão Nacional de Eleições | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||
| Parties | Votes | % | ±ppswing | MPs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2025 | ± | % | ± | ||||||
| AD – PSD/CDS Coalition(PSD/CDS–PP)[i] | 1,971,602 | 31.20 |  3.0 | 78 | 88 | 10 | 38.26 | 4.4 | ||
| PSD/CDS/PPM coalition(PSD/CDS–PP/PPM)[j] | 36,886 | 0.58 |  0.1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1.30 | 0.4 | ||
| Total AD – PSD/CDS Coalition[i] | 2,008,488 | 31.78 | 2.9 | 80 | 91 | 11 | 39.57 | 4.8 | ||
| Socialist | 1,442,546 | 22.83 | 5.2 | 78 | 58 | 20 | 25.22 | 8.7 | ||
| CHEGA | 1,438,554 | 22.76 | 4.7 | 50 | 60 | 10 | 26.09 | 4.4 | ||
| Liberal Initiative | 338,974 | 5.36 | 0.3 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 3.91 | 0.4 | ||
| LIVRE | 257,291 | 4.07 | 0.8 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2.61 | 0.9 | ||
| Unitary Democratic Coalition | 183,686 | 2.91 | 0.2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1.30 | 0.4 | ||
| Left Bloc | 125,808 | 1.99 | 2.5 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0.43 | 1.8 | ||
| People–Animals–Nature | 86,930 | 1.38 | 0.6 | 1 | 1 |  0 | 0.43 | 0.0 | ||
| National Democratic Alternative | 81,660 | 1.29 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.0 | ||
| Together for the People | 20,900 | 0.33 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.43 | 0.4 | ||
| React, Include, Recycle | 14,021 | 0.22 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.0 | ||
| Volt Portugal | 12,150 | 0.19 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.0 | ||
| Portuguese Workers' Communist | 11,896 | 0.19 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.0 | ||
| New Right | 10,216 | 0.16 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.0 | ||
| Rise Up | 9,046 | 0.14 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.0 | ||
| Liberal Social | 7,332 | 0.12 | — | — | 0 | — | 0.00 | — | ||
| People's Monarchist | 5,616 | 0.09 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.0 | ||
| We, the Citizens! | 3,304 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.0 | ||
| Earth[k] | 478 | 0.01 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.0 | ||
| Labour | 425 | 0.01 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.0 | ||
| Total valid | 6,059,321 | 95.88 | 0.2 | 230 | 230 | 0 | 100.00 | 0.0 | ||
| Blank ballots | 87,654 | 1.39 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Invalid ballots | 172,994 | 2.74 | 0.2 | |||||||
| Total | 6,319,969 | 100.00 | ||||||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 10,848,816 | 58.25 | 1.6 | |||||||
| Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições[7] | ||||||||||
Under thePortuguese Constitution adopted in 1976, in the wake of the 1974Carnation Revolution, the President is elected to a five-year term; there is no limit to the number of terms a president may serve, but a president who serves two consecutive terms may not serve again in the next five years after the second term finishes or in the following five years after his resignation.[8] The official residence of the Portuguese President is theBelém Palace.
The President is elected in atwo-round system: if no candidate reaches 50% of the votes during the first round, the two candidates with the most votes face each other in a second round held two weeks later. As of 2021[update], the1986 presidential election was the only time a Portuguese presidential election was taken into a second round.
The most recent electionwas held in 2021 and the next is expected to be in2026.
| Candidates | Supporting parties | First round | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | |||
| Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa | Social Democratic Party,People's Party | 2,531,692 | 60.66 | |
| Ana Gomes | Independent supported byPeople–Animals–Nature,LIVRE | 540,823 | 12.96 | |
| André Ventura | CHEGA | 497,746 | 11.93 | |
| João Ferreira | Portuguese Communist Party,Ecologist Party "The Greens" | 179,764 | 4.31 | |
| Marisa Matias | Left Bloc,Socialist Alternative Movement | 165,127 | 3.96 | |
| Tiago Mayan Gonçalves | Liberal Initiative | 134,991 | 3.23 | |
| Vitorino Silva | React, Include, Recycle | 123,031 | 2.95 | |
| Total valid | 4,173,174 | 100.00 | ||
| Blank ballots | 47,164 | 1.11 | ||
| [l]Invalid ballots | 38,018 | 0.89 | ||
| Total | 4,258,356 | |||
| Registered voters/turnout | 10,847,434 | 39.26 | ||
| Source:Comissão Nacional de Eleições | ||||
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Since 1974, fourteen nationwide local elections were held:
Portugal has two autonomous regions,Azores andMadeira, 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 its election the next year. The last election in Azores was on4 February 2024, and Madeira was on23 March 2025.
Parties are listed from left-wing to right-wing.
| Election | BE | CDU | L | PS | PAN | PRD | MPT | PSD | CDS | PPM | IL | CH | O/I | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 11.5 3 | 22.5 6 | 4.4 1 | 37.5 10 | 15.4 4 | 2.8 0 | 6.0 0 | 72.4 | ||||||
| 1989 | 14.4 4 | 28.5 8 | w.PS | 32.8 9 | 14.2 3 | 2.0 0 | 8.1 0 | 51.1 | ||||||
| 1994 | 11.2 3 | 34.9 10 | 0.2 0 | 0.4 0 | 34.4 9 | 12.5 3 | 0.3 0 | 6.2 0 | 35.5 | |||||
| 1999 | 1.8 0 | 10.3 2 | 43.1 12 | 0.4 0 | 31.1 9 | 8.2 2 | 0.5 0 | 4.7 0 | 39.9 | |||||
| 2004 | 4.9 1 | 9.1 2 | 44.5 12 | 0.4 0 | 33.3 9 | 0.5 0 | 7.4 0 | 38.6 | ||||||
| 2009 | 10.7 3 | 10.6 2 | 26.5 7 | 0.7 0 | 31.7 8 | 8.4 2 | 0.4 0 | 11.0 0 | 36.8 | |||||
| 2014 | 4.6 1 | 12.7 3 | 2.2 0 | 31.5 8 | 1.7 0 | 7.2 2 | 27.7 7 | 0.5 0 | 12.0 0 | 33.7 | ||||
| 2019 | 9.8 2 | 6.9 2 | 1.8 0 | 33.4 9 | 5.1 1 | 21.9 6 | 6.2 1 | w.CH | 0.9 0 | 1.5 0 | 12.5 0 | 30.7 | ||
| 2024 | 4.3 1 | 4.1 1 | 3.8 0 | 32.1 8 | 1.2 0 | 0.1 0 | 31.1 7 | 9.1 2 | 9.8 2 | 4.4 0 | 36.6 | |||
| Source:Comissão Nacional de Eleições | ||||||||||||||
TheConstitution of Portugal defines referendum in Article 115.[9] The referendum is called by thePresident of Portugal, on a proposal submitted by theAssembly or theGovernment. 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 ifturnout 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[9]). 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 four nationwide referendums in the History of Portugal:
The Constitutional referendum of 1933 did not comply with the standards of a democratic suffrage, as, for example, abstentions were counted as supportive votes. It resulted in the establishing of theEstado Novo regime.
The later three referendums, held in the context of aWestern-styleliberal democracy had turnout less than 50%, so they were not binding. Nonetheless, decisions of all three referendums were honoured.
