Portuguese Presidential Election Kicks Off

(MENAFN) Portuguese voters launched election proceedings Sunday to select their next head of state from an unprecedented lineup of 11 presidential hopefuls, with more than 11 million citizens eligible to participate.

Ballot stations opened at 8:00 a.m. and will close at 7:00 p.m. local time (0800-1900 GMT), with initial outcome projections anticipated before the day concludes.

Recent polling data indicates Andre Ventura, the far-right Chega party chief, maintains a frontrunner position. Additional prominent contenders include Antonio Jose Seguro representing the center-left Socialist Party, Joao Cotrim de Figueiredo of the Liberal Initiative, and Luis Marques Mendes from the center-right Social Democratic Party.

Portuguese constitutional law mandates presidential selection through direct citizen voting, requiring any victor to capture over 50 percent of legitimate ballots during the initial round.

Local media organizations widely predict the contest will advance to a second decisive round. Should this scenario materialize, it would represent the nation's first presidential runoff in four decades between the top two finishers.

The decisive second-round voting occurs approximately two weeks following the opening election, with the presidency awarded to whichever candidate secures a simple majority.

MENAFN18012026000045017169ID1110615640