How to vote in Portugal

Candidates will be presented by political parties and coalitions of political parties until the 41st day before the election. Candidates are Portuguese citizens, Brazilian citizens with an equal status of political rights, or citizens of other EU countries registered in Portugal.

Political parties wishing to stand for the European elections should register their candidates’ lists at the Constitutional Court until 41 days before election day. Those lists are published outdoors at the Constitutional Court and town halls, as well as on the website of the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (in Portuguese). On the day of the election, the lists are again published by notice posted outside and inside the polling stations.

According to Portuguese law, there are no threshold provisions.

In Portugal, there is just one national constituency, which means people across the country choose from the same list of candidates.

No, there is no legal obligation to vote in the European elections in Portugal.

For the election of Portuguese members of the European Parliament, the following people can vote:

• Portuguese citizens aged 18 or over who are registered on the Portuguese electoral roll in national territory;
• Portuguese citizens aged 18 or over, registered on the Portuguese electoral roll, residing outside the national territory, who have not chosen to vote in another EU country;
• Citizens of other EU countries registered in Portugal, who choose to vote for Portuguese Members of the European Parliament;
• Brazilian citizens with a citizen's card or identity card (with equal political rights status).

Portuguese or EU citizen voting in Portugal
For this election, an exceptional regime for mobile voting has been approved. Therefore, if you reside in Portugal:

1. If you have your civil identification document with you, you can vote at any polling station, either within Portugal or abroad, regardless of your registration location
2. If you do not have your civil identification document with you, you must vote at the polling station corresponding to your registration location

You can find out your polling station:

• by consulting the public notices on the distribution of polling stations
• at your local parish office, open on election day
• by sending a text message (SMS) to the number 3838 with: RE[space]ID number/citizen's card[space]Date of birth(YYYYMMDD)
• by consulting the website of the Portuguese Ministry of Interior (in Portuguese)

In addition, on election day, citizens can vote in any polling station in Portugal or abroad. There are also special provisions for early voting a week before election day and for hospitalised patients, prisoners and displaced persons abroad. Portuguese citizen voting from abroad
The voting location for Portuguese citizens residing abroad can be found in this list including all polling stations abroad on 8 and 9 June and in this list of all the polling stations abroad organising advance voting from 28 to 30 May for early voting.

More information regarding voting abroad is available on the "2024 European Parliament Elections" page of the National Electoral Commission (available only in Portuguese).

Portuguese citizen voting in Portugal
Voter registration is automatic for all citizens over the age of 17, whether they live in Portugal or abroad, as long as they hold a Citizen's Card. Check the website of the National Electoral Comission (CNE) for more details. You can find more information on the National Electoral Commission page (available only in Portuguese).

EU-citizen voting in Portugal
To register in the electoral roll, all foreign citizens residing in Portugal must go to the registration commission (parish council) corresponding to the address indicated on their residence permit. Nationals of a European Union country need the following documents:

• Identification card;
• Residence permit (Certificate of Registration for Union Citizen; Permanent Residence Certificate). You can find more information on the National Electoral Commission page (available only in Portuguese).

Portuguese citizen voting from another EU country
Portuguese citizens registered in another EU country can vote unless they have opted to vote for the candidates of that country. If the address on the Identity Card (Bilhete de Identidade) is the one where you reside abroad, you can register in the electoral roll at the respective consulate. Otherwise, you will need to obtain the Citizen Card (Cartão de Cidadão) with an updated address, automatically becoming registered. If you have a Citizen Card with (Cartão de Cidadão) an address abroad, you are automatically registered at the consulate or consular section corresponding to the locality where you reside. If you have an Identity Card (Bilhete de Identidade) with an address abroad, you can register with the registration commission (consular section of the Embassy or consular post) in your residential area. You can find more information on the National Electoral Commission page (available only in Portuguese).

Portuguese citizen voting from a country outside the EU
If the address on the Identity Card (Bilhete de Identidade) is the one where you reside abroad, you can register in the electoral roll at the respective consulate. Otherwise, you will need to obtain the Citizen Card (Cartão de Cidadão) with an updated address, automatically becoming registered. If you have a Citizen Card with (Cartão de Cidadão) an address abroad, you are automatically registered at the consulate or consular section corresponding to the locality where you reside. If you have an Identity Card (Bilhete de Identidade) with an address abroad, you can register with the registration commission (consular section of the Embassy or consular post) in your residential area. You can find more information on the National Electoral Commission page (available only in Portuguese).

Portuguese citizen voting in Portugal
Voter registration is automatic for all citizens over the age of 17, whether they live in Portugal or abroad, as long as they hold a Citizen's Card. Check the website of the National Electoral Comission (CNE) for more details. If you have recently changed your residence, you should update it on your identification document, which will allow for the automatic transfer of your registration in the electoral roll. However, regardless of this update, if you have your civil identification document with you, you can vote at any polling station in Portugal or abroad (exclusively for the 2024 electoral process). You can find more information on the National Electoral Commission page (available only in Portuguese).

EU citizen voting in Portugal
Registration is suspended on the 60th day before the election and up to the day of the election (or the day following the election's scheduling if it is scheduled with less notice). During this period, new registrations or transfers cannot be made; only changes resulting from complaints and appeals during the exposure of the voter registration lists (between the 39th and the 34th day before the election) can be made. If you update your citizen card while the registration is suspended, the registration location will correspond to the previous address. However, if you have your civil identification document with you, you can vote at any polling station established within national territory or abroad (exclusively for the 2024 electoral process). You can find more information on the National Electoral Commission page (available only in Portuguese).

Portuguese citizen voting from another EU country
Registration is suspended on the 60th day before the election and up to the day of the election (or the day following the election's scheduling if it is scheduled with less notice). During this period, new registrations or transfers cannot be made; only changes resulting from complaints and appeals during the exposure of the voter registration lists (between the 39th and the 34th day before the election) can be made. If you update your citizen card while the registration is suspended, the registration location will correspond to the previous address. However, if you have your civil identification document with you, you can vote at any polling station established within national territory or abroad (exclusively for the 2024 electoral process). You can find more information on the National Electoral Commission page (available only in Portuguese).

Portuguese citizen voting from a country outside the EU
Registration is suspended on the 60th day before the election and up to the day of the election (or the day following the election's scheduling if it is scheduled with less notice). During this period, new registrations or transfers cannot be made; only changes resulting from complaints and appeals during the exposure of the voter registration lists (between the 39th and the 34th day before the election) can be made. If you update your citizen card while the registration is suspended, the registration location will correspond to the previous address. However, if you have your civil identification document with you, you can vote at any polling station established within national territory or abroad (exclusively for the 2024 electoral process). You can find more information on the National Electoral Commission page (available only in Portuguese).

You should bring an identification document (citizen card or identity card) or any other official document with an updated picture (passport or driving license).

Voters affected by a serious illness or physical disability who might have difficulty to cast their vote may vote accompanied by another voter of their choice, who guarantees the faithfulness of their vote and who is bound to absolute secrecy.

In special cases where a voter with a disability is able to carry out the necessary voting procedures but cannot access the polling station - because they are in a wheelchair, on a stretcher etc. - the polling station must allow them to vote alone, outside the polling station but in a place - within the polling station and in full view of the polling station and delegates - where the secrecy of the vote is strictly preserved.

In these cases, the accompanying persons should limit themselves to taking the voter to the polling station and, once the voter has received the ballot paper, they should leave the voter alone to carry out the acts of voting and may finally take the voter to the polling station to hand the ballot paper. Visually impaired and partially-sighted people voting in the European elections in Portugal will have the possibility to vote autonomously with the support of a braille matrix and a explanatory sheet with enlarged letter, provided by the polling station.

You may find easy-to-read information about European elections on the easy-to-read page of this website.

No, voting by mail in the European elections is not possible in Portugal.

No, online voting in the European elections is not possible in Portugal.

No, voting by proxy in the European elections is not possible in Portugal.