Local government election campaign kicks off this Tuesday
According to the calendar released by the National Elections Commission (CNE), the campaign that begins this Tuesday runs until 24 September, the day before Election Day.
The official campaign for local government elections, which will take place on September 26, begins on Tuesday for more than two dozen parties and more than 60 groups of citizens running for municipalities across the country.
According to the calendar released by the National Elections Commission (CNE), the campaign that begins this Tuesday runs until 24 September, the day before Election Day.
More than 9.3 million voters can vote in these local government elections, each receiving three ballot papers, one of which to elect the executive of each of the 308 municipal councils, another for each municipal assembly, and a third for the election of parish councils.
The CNE estimates that about 12,370 lists were presented in total, of which about 1,035 were from voter groups (GCE).
According to the campaign budgets delivered to the Entity for Political Accounts and Financing, more than 20 parties are running for the local elections, alone or in coalition: Aliança, BE, CDS-PP, Chega, Ergue-te, Liberal Initiative, JPP, Livre, MAS, MPT, Nós, Cidadãos!, PAN, PCP and PEV (which form the CDU – Unitary Democratic Coalition), PCTP/MRPP, PDR, PPM, PS, PSD, PTP, RIR and Volt Portugal.
Also according to the campaign budgets, 64 of the 308 municipalities in the country have candidates from citizen groups, and in four municipalities there are two independent movements in each: Albufeira (in the district of Faro), Sabrosa (Vila Real), Redondo (Évora) and Castelo de Paiva (Aveiro).
Candidates plan to spend a total of €33.6 million on the campaign, down from the nearly €39 million spent in 2017.
Parties and coalitions of parties estimate spending a total of €31 million on the election campaign (in 2017 they spent €35 million) and citizens’ groups €2,639,120.7. The PS continues to have the highest campaign budget with €11.43 million.
According to the latest Synthesis Report of CNE’s Processes (Complaints and Opinion) and Requests for Information, by September 5 this entity had already received at least 577 complaints and 53 requests for opinions related to the elections.
The local elections will take place between 08:00 am and 08:00 pm on September 26.
Portugal has 308 municipalities and 3,091 parish councils. However, in 22 parishes with 150 or fewer registered voters, citizens will not vote on September 26 for their respective parish assemblies, and the executives of these parish councils will be elected later through plenary meetings of voters.
