The clock struck eight this morning, and a grand democratic contest began. Across the mainland and the island of Madeira, voters lined up. Their mission? To pick local leaders for the next four years. These choices will shape the future of their municipalities and parishes.
Ballot boxes will welcome citizens until 7 PM. However, the schedule shifts for those in the Azores. Their polls open and close an hour later. This is due to the one-hour time difference in the archipelago.
This is no small gathering. Over 9.3 million people are eligible to cast their votes. This huge number comes from the official census, shared by the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Administration. Drilling into the numbers, we see 9,303,840 registered voters. Most are nationals, a whopping 9,262,722 of them. But this local game has global players too. There are 18,319 voters from the European Union. Plus, another 22,799 foreign residents from outside the EU. All of them are registered right here.
What’s on the ballot? Three separate choices for each voter. They select leaders for 308 Municipal Councils. They also pick members for 308 Municipal Assemblies. Finally, they decide on who sits in 3,221 Parish Assemblies. That’s a lot of local power up for grabs.
Some smaller communities play by different rules. In 37 parishes, with fewer than 150 voters, the executive will be chosen later. These tiny groups will use citizen assemblies to make their final call.
This year’s contest also marks a significant return. Back in 2013, an administrative reform saw many parishes disappear or merge. Now, 302 of those parishes are making a comeback. This move will split apart 135 parish unions, giving local identity a fresh start.
After this democratic overhaul, the nation will feature 3,258 parishes. There is one unique exception to this local rule. On the island of Corvo, the Municipal Council handles all parish duties. It stands as the only municipality without its own Parish Council.
Looking at the teams vying for power, the numbers are huge. For Municipal Councils, 1,584 lists are competing. Another 1,519 lists seek seats in Municipal Assemblies. Then, a massive 9,764 lists aim for Parish Assemblies. These figures, showing the depth of local engagement, come from the latest records at the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Administration.