Portugal’s presidential election, held on January 18, concluded without a decisive winner, sending the country to a runoff election on February 8, 2026, following one of the most polarized presidential contests since the return of democracy.
According to the official provisional results, the socialist left-center candidate, António José Seguro, led the first round with 31.1% of the vote, followed by the populist far-right candidate, André Ventura, with 23.5%.
With the vote count nearing completion in the emigration constituency, Ventura is the clear winner with over 40% of the diaspora votes, followed by Seguro with 23.24%.
With no candidate securing an absolute majority, the two will now face off on February 8. Other candidates, including João Cotrim de Figueiredo, Henrique Gouveia e Melo, and Luís Marques Mendes, were eliminated after the first round, redistributing their voters ahead of a decisive runoff.
In the Azores, Seguro finished first, narrowly ahead of Ventura, reflecting a more moderate and center-left electorate. In contrast, Madeira delivered a first-place result to Ventura, underscoring stronger right-leaning sentiment in the autonomous region.
The first-round results — which include votes cast in mainland Portugal, the autonomous regions, and abroad — have also renewed long-standing frustration among Portuguese communities abroad, particularly in the United States and Canada, over what many describe as a dysfunctional electoral process for diaspora voters.
These results confirm that Portugal is entering a new phase of regional and ideological fragmentation. The final runoff will be decided not just on the mainland, but also by turnout in the regions and abroad.
Diaspora participation remains frustrating and constrained
More than 1.7 million Portuguese citizens are registered to vote overseas, including hundreds of thousands in the United States and Canada. While diaspora votes are included in national totals, participation remains chronically low, a reality community leaders say is driven by structural barriers, not political disengagement.
Under current law, Portuguese citizens abroad are required to vote in person for presidential elections, unlike legislative elections, where voting by mail is permitted. For many Portuguese Americans and Portuguese Canadians — often living hours away from the nearest consulate — this requirement effectively limits access.
Community leaders have decried that low overseas turnout should not be misinterpreted as apathy, but rather as systemic disenfranchisement embedded in the electoral process. They claim that for many voters, exercising their constitutional right means taking time off work, traveling long distances, and absorbing real costs, which limits equal access.
In the United States, in addition to the Embassy of Portugal in Washington, there are 15 Portuguese diplomatic representations to serve the Portuguese resident communities, namely the Consulate General in Boston (MA); New Bedford (MA); Providence (RI); New York (NY); Waterbury (CT); Newark (NJ); Philadelphia (PA); Washington (DC); Coral Gables (FL); Palm Coast (FL); Chicago (Il); Houston (TX); Los Angeles (CA); San Francisco (CA); Honolulu (HW) and San Juan (PR).
Portuguese abroad have been meeting these same issues election after election, arguing that while people want to vote, the system keeps putting obstacles in their way, which, over time, erodes trust in the process.
They claim that, while Portugal celebrates its global diaspora culturally and economically, the system still behaves as if all voters live within driving distance of the few embassies and consulate posts available around the world.
Beyond distance and logistics, diaspora voters report registration errors, outdated records, unclear consular assignments, and limited staffing, with some learning of problems only after arriving at polling stations.
The day after the election, detailed consular-level breakdowns have not yet been fully published by the Ministry of Internal Administration at the time of this first count.
Once more detailed consular results are released by the Portuguese election authorities (often available by consulate/constituency several days after the vote), they will show how diaspora voters specifically cast ballots for each candidate.
Diaspora demanding electoral reform
The February 8 runoff will determine Portugal’s next president, but for many Portuguese abroad, including Portuguese Americans and Portuguese Canadians, it also represents a broader test: whether Portugal is prepared to modernize its democracy to fully include its citizens abroad.
As Portugal heads toward the February runoff, diaspora leaders are again calling for reforms long advocated by Portuguese communities abroad, including:
- Postal voting for presidential elections
- Improved digital voter registration and verification
- Expanded consular staffing and outreach
- Formal recognition of the diaspora as a core component of Portugal’s democratic life
Portuguese abroad who are registered can vote on February 7 and 8 in the second round (Feb 8, 2026) at their consulates, and diaspora turnout could influence both national narratives and candidate priorities, especially around issues like dual citizenship, labor migration, and bilateral ties with North America.
It is estimated that 70.000 Portuguese abroad voted in the 2016 presidential election. More than 2 million eligible Portuguese voters are estimated to be living abroad, yet less than 30,000 voted in the last presidential election.
For official information, voters can consult the Portal do Eleitor, the Portuguese government’s voter information platform, as well as the Comissão Nacional de Eleições (CNE) for regulations and updates. Portuguese consulates worldwide also publish local instructions on registration, postal voting, and election-day procedures.
The elected president will replace incumbent Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, 77, who is the 20th President of Portugal, first elected in January 2016 and re-elected in 2021. Although largely ceremonial, the presidency of Portugal carries important constitutional powers. The president can dissolve Parliament and call early legislative elections, veto legislation, appoint the prime minister following legislative outcomes, and serves as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. While day-to-day governance rests with the prime minister and the Parliament, these powers make the presidency especially influential during periods of political instability or uncertainty.
More @ 2026 Portuguese presidential election
PAJ/Saff/This developing story will be updated.
