People from the Portuguese National Republican Guard. File photoMADRID, Jan 30Voting in the early parliamentary elections began in Portugal, polling stations opened at 8.00 local time (11.00 Moscow time) and closed at 19.00 (22.00 Moscow time). Elections are held ahead of schedule in Portugal — they were announced by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa after the parliament failed approve the state budget submitted by the socialist government of António Costa.Portugal has set a date for early parliamentary elections Elections are held in 22 electoral districts (18 in continental Portugal, one in the Azores, one in Madeira, two abroad — in Europe and other countries). A total of 10.8 million voters are registered, of which almost a million are abroad. Two dozen parties have nominated their candidates, but nine of them have real chances to enter the legislature. On the eve of the vote, polls predicted a technical draw between the country's two main parties, the Socialist Party (PS) and the Social Democratic Party (PSD). None of them, according to forecasts, will manage to win an absolute majority, and negotiations will be necessary to form a government. The authorities, fearing a low turnout, announced that even those citizens who are quarantined due to COVID-19 will be able to vote . They are advised to come to the sites closer to closing — from six to seven in the evening. In the days leading up to the election, more than a million people, 10% of the population, were quarantined. At the height of the sixth wave of the epidemic in the country, 20-40 thousand new infections are recorded per day. 285,000 voters voted early in these elections. A total of 13,800 polling stations in 308 municipalities, 70,000 members of commissions will work. In the context of the pandemic, the CEC reduced the number of people registered at one polling station to 750, and also distributed 100 tons of sanitary materials (masks, sanitizers, gowns, gloves, transparent protective screens). The Ministry of Internal Affairs calls on all voters to strictly observe sanitary standards — bring pens with you, come in a mask, maintain social distance and use antiseptic hand gel. The Portuguese Parliament is elected for four years.
The Prime Minister of Portugal spoke about the plans of his party after winning the elections
