Portuguese vote for new parliament in snap elections
More than 10.8 million Portuguese voters across the country and abroad cast their ballots on Sunday to elect a new parliament, from which a new government will emerge.
Altogether 230 deputies will be elected in 22 constituencies, with 18 political forces competing in the legislative elections, three fewer than in the 2019 and 2022 elections.
Exit polls show that leaders of the main opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) are leading, but detailed ballot results were expected within hours after polling stations closed at 8 pm.
Sunday's snap election came after the resignation of Prime Minister Antonio Costa in November.
Costa's resignation from office was prompted by allegations of corruption in lithium and hydrogen exploitation contracts, leading the Public Prosecutor's Office to launch an investigation into the matter.
Two days after President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa accepted the resignation of the Socialist Party's (PS) prime minister, the president from PSD announced the dissolution of parliament and called for new legislative elections.
At a polling station, voter Sergio Goncalves told Xinhua that he expected surprises from this year's elections because there were many new deputies and new proposals had been presented.
Rosa Maria, another voter, said she was worried about external influences on the elections, mainly from the press.
Some other voters also expressed their concerns about social media, noting its negative influence on people's opinions with distorted facts and positions of the candidates.
According to previous polls, PSD leader Luis Montenegro was the front-runner. While casting his ballots in the morning, he said he was "calm and optimistic regarding the result of the legislative elections."
The General Secretary of the PS Pedro Nuno Santos voted late in the morning. He called for massive participation in the elections for a "hard-won" right.
When voting in Lisbon early in the afternoon, President of the right-wing Chega Party Andre Ventura said he was "very optimistic and confident."
He said Sunday was "the day when everyone, on an equal footing, has the strength, the right, the prerogative to change the country and say what they want for the future of the country."
