Portugal's Local Elections: Party Leaders Confident in High Voter Turnout Amid Power Outages and Political Shifts

Polls Open for Local Elections Across Portugal

Polling stations opened at 8 AM Lisbon time this Sunday for Portugal's local elections, with party leaders from across the political spectrum expressing confidence that voter turnout would be strong and abstention rates would decrease.

Porto Candidates Express Optimism

Manuel Pizarro, the Socialist Party (PS) candidate for Porto City Council, cast his vote at 10:20 AM at Maria Lamas Basic School in Ramalde parish. Speaking to journalists outside the school, Pizarro emphasized this was the time for "Porto residents to choose what they want for Porto's future." He described the campaign as "very animated" and said it helped "establish differences between candidates."

"I saw a lot of mobilization, many people walking to this polling station," Pizarro noted, expressing confidence that people would respond to calls to vote. He highlighted that in Porto's context, "there's a political cycle change because the current president cannot run again, and it's natural that these changes create greater enthusiasm in the election."

Pizarro added: "Any democrat must be prepared for any result. I have the expectation of winning the elections, but I respect my fellow citizens. I love Porto very much and respect the choice of Porto residents."

Early Voters and Technical Issues

At Aurélia de Sousa Secondary School in Porto, polls opened promptly at 8 AM, allowing early voters like Joaquim and Augusta to fulfill their civic duty before heading to a Porto Motorcycle Club tour of the Northern region.

Meanwhile, reports emerged of power outages at some polling stations, particularly in Tabuaço, where voters had to use flashlights to cast their votes with proper visibility. André Wemans, spokesperson for the National Election Commission (CNE), confirmed contact had been made about this issue, but no official incident was recorded since power returned during the phone call.

Communist Leader Votes in Setúbal

Paulo Raimundo, General Secretary of the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), voted at 9:29 AM at Quinta da Fonte da Prata Basic School in Alhos Vedros, Setúbal, accompanied by his daughter. Raimundo praised all those working to ensure normal electoral proceedings and, when asked about abstention, stated that the resulting municipal map "corresponds to the will of the people."

Regarding the campaign, Raimundo noted it "never is as everyone would like it to be" and that much of it happens "outside the media, on the ground, close to people."

Socialist Leader's Call to Vote

José Luís Carneiro, General Secretary of the Socialist Party (PS), voted around 9:20 AM at Alexandre Herculano School in Bonfim parish, where over 6,000 people vote among 20,000 registered voters in Bonfim. In Porto alone, there are more than 200,000 voters.

After voting, Carneiro made a strong appeal: "I would like to appeal to all Portuguese to vote. Choose your local elected officials because it's with local elected officials that we can contribute to developing the country. It's one of the most important choices we make for the future of our collective life, because it's in municipalities that many problems affecting citizens' lives are solved, from housing to health, education, transport, transport quality, urban cleaning and hygiene."

Carneiro expressed optimism about voter participation and confidently stated that "the PS is back" after what he called the "hecatombe of the last elections." He emphasized that the campaign focused on national priorities like housing, health, education, transport, security, and community self-esteem.

Prime Minister's Democratic Appeal

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro voted at 9:08 AM at Basic School 1 in Espinho, accompanied by his wife. Speaking to journalists afterward, Montenegro called it "a very important day for our democracy" and made a "final appeal for people to come to the polls and choose their local officials."

"The future of the country also depends greatly on this choice," Montenegro emphasized, highlighting local representatives' role in solving problems affecting families and social organization. He expressed hope for high participation and normal, tranquil proceedings.

When asked about expectations for the resulting municipal map, the PSD leader admitted his party had previously been the most represented at the local level and wasn't currently, but hoped to regain that position. He noted that party fluctuations are normal and desirable in a vibrant democracy.

Power Outage Incident in Tabuaço

In Tabuaço, voter Rui Martins experienced confusion when he thought he had completed voting but was reminded by the polling station president, Marisa Pedreiro, that he still needed to vote for the Desejosa Parish Council, which is elected by Citizens' Plenary and uses a separate ballot box.

At 8:10 AM, a power outage occurred at the Desejosa Parish Council headquarters, leaving the voting booth completely dark. The current parish council president, Faustino de Jesus Macedo, brought a flashlight, wondering if it was a wider blackout affecting surrounding areas.

With 118 registered voters, Desejosa is one of 37 parishes electing their council through Citizens' Plenary. Only one candidate list was presented by the deadline, and the council election concludes by noon, while municipal voting continues until 7 PM.