Vote count starts following repeat election in Europe constituency

  • Lusa
  • 22 March 2022

The count is the final phase of the electoral act, including both ballots cast in person on March 12 and 13 and those sent in by post.

Tuesday and Wednesday in Lisbon see the collection and counting of emigrant votes from the Europe constituency, cast in the partial re-run of the January 30 general election ordered by the country’s Constitutional Court, according to the electoral calendar previously released by the National Elections Commission (CNE).

The count is the final phase of the electoral act, including both ballots cast in person on March 12 and 13 and those sent in by post – after 926,000 ballots were sent out to registered voters in 36 countries in Europe.

Of the 400 voters registered to vote in person at embassies and consulates in Europe, 152 actually cast their ballot this way.

Postal voting, meanwhile, has been the target of much criticism since the start of the election re-run, with complaints of delays in receiving ballot papers, as well as different information on the deadlines for sending them in.

In parliament, the minister of internal administration, Francisca Van Dunem, said last week that between 72% and 99% of registered voters in Europe had received a ballot paper to take part in the election re-run. She acknowledged, however, that the government estimates that around half of those who took part in the first, abortive exercise would not take part in the re-run.

The secretary of state for Portuguese communities abroad, Berta Nunes, speaking in Paris on Friday, said that emigrants were receiving their ballot papers, but also acknowledged problems and the possibility that the turnout would fall.

On the same day, but in Mozambique, Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, said that he hoped to announce the make up of the country’s new government on Wednesday and inaugurate it on the afternoon of March 30, with ministers and secretaries of state already in place.

The partial re-run of the snap general election of January 30 in the Europe constituency was ordered because electoral officials in a number of assemblies initially counted ballots that were not accompanied by a copy of the voter’s identity card as required by law.

Over 157,000 ballots from voters in the constituency – 80% of the total – ended up being annulled after the valid and invalid ballots were mixed during counting. The Constitutional Court, which was called upon to rule on this annulment, declared the elections in these assemblies null and void.

Following the court’s decision, the CNE resolved to repeat the election in the Europe constituency, with in-person voting to take place on March 12 and 13 and a deadline for postal ballots of March 23.