2026 Portuguese presidential election

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Presidential elections were held in Portugal in 2026, with a first round on 18 January and a second round on 8 February.[2][3] The incumbent president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, supported by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), had already served two consecutive terms, so he was not eligible for re-election.

Registered11,025,823 (Increase +1.64pp)
Turnout52.39% (first round) Increase +13.13pp
50.03% (second round)
Quick facts Registered, Turnout ...
2026 Portuguese presidential election
← 2021
  • 18 January 2026 (first round)
  • 8 February 2026 (second round)[a]
2031 →
Opinion polls
Registered11,025,823 (Increase +1.64pp)
Turnout52.39% (first round) Increase +13.13pp
50.03% (second round)
 
Candidate António José
Seguro		 André Ventura
Party PS
Supported by:
 CH
Popular vote 3,502,613 1,737,950
Percentage 66.84% 33.16%
President before election

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
PSD

 Elected President

António José Seguro
PS

Close

Fourteen potential candidates submitted formal applications, of which eleven were certified to appear on the ballot paper.[4][5] They included the former coordinator of Portugal's COVID-19 vaccination task force Henrique Gouveia e Melo,[6] who ran as an independent, and former PSD leader Luís Marques Mendes.[7] The Socialist Party (PS) supported the campaign of their former party leader António José Seguro.[8][9][10] André Ventura, the leader of Chega (CH), also stood.[11] Other candidates supported by parties were the MEPs João Cotrim de Figueiredo for Liberal Initiative (IL) and Catarina Martins for Left Bloc (BE); the former MP António Filipe for the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP); and the MP Jorge Pinto for LIVRE (L).

In the first round, Seguro (PS) won the most votes with 31%, while Ventura (CH) came second with 23.5%.[12] Because no candidate reached the required 50% threshold, Seguro and Ventura faced each other in a second round run-off on 8 February.[13] This was only the second time that a direct Portuguese presidential election went to a second round, after the 1986 election.[14]

Candidates eliminated in the first round included Cotrim de Figueiredo (IL) who came third with 16%, and Gouveia e Melo (independent) fourth with 12%. Marques Mendes (PSD) received 11%, the lowest in Portuguese history for a government supported presidential candidate, surpassing the previous negative record set by Mário Soares in 2006.[15] Catarina Martins (BE) received 2%, the lowest for a female candidate in a presidential election,[16] while António Filipe (PCP) received less than 2%, the Communists' worst result in a presidential election.[17]

Overall voter turnout (including overseas) in the first round was 52 percent, thirteen percentage points higher than the previous election.[18] In Portugal itself, turnout was 61.50 percent, an increase of 16.1 percentage points compared to 2021,[19] and the highest since 2006.[18] Seguro defeated Ventura by a wide margin on the second round, 67% to 33%,[20] and became the most voted candidate ever in a Portuguese election by surpassing Soares' 1991 vote total record.[21] Overall turnout in the second round dropped slightly to 50%. António José Seguro was sworn in as President on 9 March 2026.[22]

Background

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was re-elected in January 2021, securing nearly 61 percent of the votes in the first round. He took the oath of office on 9 March 2021, and continued the period of cohabitation with Socialist Party Prime Minister António Costa, which lasted until April 2024. This cohabitation ended after the March 2024 elections, which saw Luís Montenegro, from the Social Democratic Party (the same party as the President), nominated as prime minister.

Within the Portuguese political system, the president serves as the head of state with primarily ceremonial duties, though the president holds some political influence and can dissolve Parliament during a crisis. The president resides at the Belém Palace in Lisbon. Since the Carnation Revolution, all Portuguese presidents have been re-elected for a second term and never tried a third, with one exception: Mário Soares (PS), who sought a non-consecutive third term in the 2006 presidential election but lost. Thus, every president since 1976 has served exactly two terms. During his decade-long presidency, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa suffered a considerable decline in his public approval according to polling.

Pre-campaign

Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo, who rose to prominence as the coordinator of Portugal's COVID-19 Vaccination Task Force,[23] quickly emerged as a leading candidate in early polling as far back as mid-2022.[24] Over the next two years, he repeatedly oscillated in his public statements regarding his intentions to run, fueling speculation.[25][26][27] By November 2024, having declined to be renominated as Chief of the Naval Staff, Gouveia e Melo started preparing his path for the presidency, signaling the support from local politicians[28] and stating that he didn't want the support of any party.[29] He ultimately announced his candidacy in May 2025.[6]

Luís Marques Mendes and his wife at his campaign launch, 11 February 2025.

On the traditional centre-right, the Social Democratic Party had several high-profile potential candidates for the presidency, including the former prime ministers Pedro Passos Coelho and Pedro Santana Lopes,[30] as well as former party leaders Luís Marques Mendes and Rui Rio, and former Minister Leonor Beleza.[31] Among these, Marques Mendes soon emerged as the leading candidate, announcing his candidacy in February 2025[7] and receiving the support of the party in May 2025.[32] Meanwhile, the CDS–PP, the junior partner of PSD in the AD coalition, hoped that the former leader and former deputy prime minister, Paulo Portas, would run[33] but, after he declined to seek the presidency,[34] CDS declared support for Marques Mendes, despite internal divisions.[35]

On the centre-left, Pedro Nuno Santos announced in January 2024, after being elected as Secretary-general of the Socialist Party, that he wanted the party to support a presidential candidate in the 2026 election,[36] as the last time the PS had supported a candidate was Manuel Alegre in the 2011 presidential election. Multiple socialist figures soon emerged as potential contenders, but, as the political landscape changed, many of these started losing momentum. Former president of the Assembly of the Republic, Augusto Santos Silva, was considered as a strong candidate[37] until he lost his seat as an MP in the March 2024 legislative election.[38] The governor of the Bank of Portugal, Mário Centeno, was also considered as a strong contender,[39] due to his popularity as Minister of Finance, until he declined to run in January 2025.[40]

António José Seguro after formalizing his candidacy at the Constitutional Court, 17 December 2025.

By then, two main candidates emerged to represent the traditional left, the former PS leader, António José Seguro, who had been out of politics since 2014, and the former director-general of the International Organization for Migration, António Vitorino, as a group of high-profile socialists rejected the possibility of Seguro being the party's candidate,[41][42] even suggesting an internal referendum to decide the party's presidential candidate,[43] an idea that was ultimately rejected. Vitorino, who had by then failed to gain much support within the party's leadership as was expected,[44] ended up backing away from the race following the poor results of the PS in the May 2025 legislative election,[45] paving the way for Seguro as the clear favorite to receive the party's support in the presidential election.[46] Despite the attempt from Seguro's opponents to draft the runner-up of the 2016 presidential election, António Sampaio da Nóvoa,[47] and a final failed effort from Santos Silva to gain support to run,[48] António José Seguro ended up announcing his candidacy in June 2025,[49] receiving an almost unanimous support of the PS following the 2025 Portuguese local elections.[50]

On the left of the PS, the absence of Sampaio da Nóvoa from the race eliminated the prospects for a united left front,[51] prompting each party to run their own candidates, despite attempts from Seguro supporters for a single left-wing candidacy.[52][53][54] The Communist Party announced the candidacy of former vice president of the Assembly of the Republic, António Filipe, in June 2025,[55] with Filipe resolutely stating that he would not withraw from the race.[56] Catarina Martins, former leader of the Left Bloc, and incumbent MEP, entered the race in September 2025,[57] followed in October by Jorge Pinto, a LIVRE MP from Porto.[58] André Ventura, the leader of the radical right-wing populist Chega, and a candidate in the previous presidential election, announced his candidacy in January 2025.[59] Following unprecedentedly strong results in the May 2025 legislative election, that made him the leader of the opposition, Ventura considered alternative candidates,[60] such as Passos Coelho,[61] the former CDS leader Manuel Monteiro,[62] Major general Isidro Morais Pereira,[63] and even considered the idea of supporting Gouveia e Melo.[64] Nonetheless, Ventura ended up confirming his own candidacy in September 2025.[11]

For the liberals, with Rui Rocha's re-election as leader of the Liberal Initiative, parliamentary leader Mariana Leitão was initially designated as the party's presidential candidate.[65] However, Rocha later resigned as party leader following the 2025 legislative election, and Leitão shifted her focus to run for the liberals' leadership, withdrawing from the presidential race.[66] In August, former leader and incumbent liberal MEP, João Cotrim de Figueiredo, announced his candidacy,[67] becoming a major right-wing contender, precluding figures, like outgoing mayor of Porto Rui Moreira, from entering the race.[68] Both People Animals Nature and Together for the People decided not to present or back any candidate for the first round of the election,[69][70] while PAN has said they would likely support a candidate in the second round.[71] Despite that, both Inês Sousa Real and Filipe Sousa, sole deputies from both parties, supported Seguro in the first round.[72]

Electoral system

Early voting proving stamp for the 2026 presidential election.

To stand for election, candidates must be of Portuguese origin and over 35 years old, gather 7,500 signatures of support one month before the election, and submit them to the Constitutional Court of Portugal. Then, the Constitutional Court has to certify if the candidacies submitted meet the requirements to appear on the ballot.[73] A candidate must receive a majority of votes (50% plus one vote) to be elected. If no candidate achieves a majority in the first round, a runoff election (i.e., second round, held between the two candidates who receive the most votes in the first round) has to be held.[73] The highest number of candidacies ever accepted was ten, in 2016. Since the Carnation Revolution, there had only been a single runoff election, in the 1986 Portuguese presidential election, when Diogo Freitas do Amaral (46.3% of votes in the first round and 48.8% in the second) lost to Mário Soares (25.4% in the first round and 51.2% in the second).

Early voting

Voters were also able to vote early, with voting starting on 5 January for hospitalized and incarcerated voters and on 6 January for Portuguese citizens living abroad, ending for both groups on 8 January..[74] For citizens living in Portugal early voting occurred on 11 January, one week before election day, with voters having to register between 4 and 8 January to be eligible to cast an early ballot.[75] By 8 January deadline, 218,481 voters (around 2% of the total of voters) had requested to vote early, a number lower than that recorded in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic.[76] For the second round, 308,501 voters (around 3% of the total of voters) requested to cast an early ballot on 1 February, a considerably larger number than in the first round, with registration having been open between 24 and 29 January.[77]

Candidates

Official candidates

Candidates who formalized their candidacy and submitted enough signatures to the Constitutional Court that were accepted. The deadline to submit candidacies to the Court was 18 December 2025.[78] Candidates are ordered by how they appeared on the ballot paper.[4]

Advanced to runoff

More information Candidate, Party support ...
Candidate Party support Political office(s) Details Campaign
announced		 Candidacy
formalized		 Ref.
António José Seguro (63)
Other offices
 Socialist Party member; political commentator on CNN Portugal; university professor 15 June 2025
Website		 15 December 2025
10,000 signatures		 [79][49][50][80][81]
André Ventura (43)
Founder of CHEGA; candidate in the 2021 presidential election, finishing third with 11.9% of the votes. 4 January 2025
Website		 15 December 2025
14,200 signatures		 [59][60][11][82][83]
Close

Eliminated in first round

More information Candidate, Party support ...
Candidate Party support Political office(s) Details Campaign
announced		 Candidacy
formalized		 Ref.
André Pestana (49)
None Teacher; trade unionist; former Left Bloc and Socialist Alternative Movement member 21 December 2024
Website		 15 December 2025
8,000 signatures		 [84][85][86][87][88]
Jorge Pinto (38)
  LIVRE Member of Parliament for Porto (since 2024) LIVRE member and founder; environmental engineer; writer 22 October 2025
Website		 17 December 2025
~10,000 signatures		 [58][89][90][91]
Manuel João Vieira (63)
None None Independent; satirical politician; singer; failed candidate in the 2001, 2011 and 2016 presidential elections 22 September 2025
Website		 3 December 2025
12,502 signatures		 [92][93][94]
Catarina Martins (52)
  Left Bloc
Left Bloc member since 2010; actress 10 September 2025
Website		 10 December 2025
~9,500 signatures		 [57][95][96]
João Cotrim de Figueiredo (64)
Liberal Initiative member; businessman; former President of Turismo de Portugal (2013–2016) 13 August 2025
Website		 3 November 2025
~9,000 signatures		 [67][97][98]
Humberto Correia (64)
None None Independent; painter and writer; candidate for Mayor of Faro in the 2017 local election 7 May 2021
Website		 4 December 2025
9,490 signatures		 [99][100]
Luís Marques Mendes (68)
Other offices
 Social Democratic Party member from 1974 to 2025;[b] political commentator on SIC 6 February 2025
Website		 17 December 2025
9,350 signatures		 [7][101][32][35][102]
António Filipe (62)
Portuguese Communist Party member; jurist; university professor 29 June 2025
Website		 4 December 2025
12,888 signatures		 [55][103][104][105]
Henrique Gouveia e Melo (65)
Independent; admiral; retired Navy officer 29 May 2025
Website		 10 December 2025
~10,000 signatures		 [6][106][107][108]
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Rejected

Unsuccessful candidates

Withdrew candidacy

Ballot paper for the first round 2026 Portuguese presidential election. It includes Ricardo Sousa, Joana Amaral Dias and José Cardoso, candidates rejected due to insufficient signatures.
Ballot paper for the second round of 2026 Portuguese presidential election.
Braille matrix paper for the second round of 2026 Portuguese presidential election.

Declined

Campaign

Issues

The first round campaign was marked by issues like the state of healthcare in Portugal; immigration; the proposed changes to labour laws;[237] the use of presidential powers, such as the use of the power to dissolve parliament; constitutional reform; foreign policy, being highlighted the war in Ukraine, the presence of Portugal in NATO, the involvement of Donald Trump in European affairs and the situation in Venezuela;[238][239][240] plus the importance of political stability to the country.[241] During the one-on-one debates, the issue of transparency also arose, with PSD supported candidate, Luís Marques Mendes, being strongly questioned about his business past and links to corporations and the government.[242]

On 23 December 2025, a court in Lisbon ordered Chega presidential candidate André Ventura to remove campaign posters targeting the Romani people within 24 hours, ruling that the materials are discriminatory and may incite hatred, or face daily fines of €2,500 (US$2,940) per poster.[243][244] Also, the last few days of the first round campaign were dominated by an accusation of sexual harassment against João Cotrim de Figueiredo by a former female IL parliamentary aid, with the candidate denying the accusation and even filing a lawsuit against the woman who accused him, despite new revelations and contradictions being reported.[245]

The campaign for the second round was limited, as bad weather across the country, and the devastating impact of Storm Kristin, after 28 January, all but put a halt to the campaign,[246] despite the discussion about the "wave" of center-right endorsements for Seguro and the government's response to the storm aftermath being dominant.[247][248][249]

Candidates' slogans

More information Candidate, Original slogan ...
Candidate Original slogan English translation Ref.
António José Seguro « Futuro Seguro » "Safe Future" [250]
André Ventura « Os Portugueses Primeiro » "The Portuguese First" [251]
João Cotrim de Figueiredo
  • « Imagina Portugal »
  • « Um Presidente com o perfil certo »
  • "Imagine Portugal"
  • "A President with the right profile"
 [250]
Henrique Gouveia e Melo « O meu partido é Portugal » "My party is Portugal" [250]
Luís Marques Mendes « O valor da experiência » "The value of experience" [250]
Catarina Martins « Contigo » "With you" [250]
António Filipe « Com o Povo, por Abril, por Portugal » "With the People, for April, for Portugal" [250]
Manuel João Vieira « Só desisto se for eleito » "I'll only give up if I'm elected" [252]
Jorge Pinto « Presidente Presente » "Present President" [253]
André Pestana « É hora de abrir a pestana » "It's time to open your eyes" [254]
Humberto Correia « Agir para construir Portugal » "Acting to build Portugal" [255]
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Candidates' debates

First round

The three main TV channels in Portugal, RTP1, SIC and TVI, agreed to host 28 one-on-one debates between the 8 main candidates on the ballot for the first round.[256] However, this format was challenged, as the three main broadcasters were accused of forcing an exclusivity agreement so that the debates only take place on these three channels.[257] CMTV filed a complaint to the Electoral Commission [pt] (CNE) against RTP, SIC and TVI, accusing the networks of an "anti-competitive matrix".[258] The channels denied such agreement, but the media regulator ruled in favour of CMTV and advised for the debate format to include the plaintiff.[259] Despite this advise, the 3 channels decided to not change the format.[260] Radio stations also hosted a debate with the 8 main candidates,[261] while RTP1 hosted a debate with all 11 candidates on the ballot.[262]

More information Date, Time ...
2026 Portuguese presidential election debates
Date Time Organisers Moderator(s)    P  Present[c]    S  Surrogate[d]    NI  Not invited   I Invited  A Absent invitee 
Gouveia e Melo
Humberto Correia
 Viewers
(Average
audience)		 Ref.
Ind. PSD PS CH IL BE CDU L Ind. Ind. Ind.
17 November 2025 21:00 TVI José Alberto Carvalho NI NI P P NI NI NI NI NI NI NI 1,052,872 [263][264]
18 November 2025 SIC Clara de Sousa NI P NI NI NI NI P NI NI NI NI 877,643 [265][266]
20 November 2025 RTP1 Vítor Gonçalves P NI NI NI P NI NI NI NI NI NI 659,884 [267][268]
23 November 2025 SIC Clara de Sousa P NI NI NI NI P NI NI NI NI NI 947,219 [269][270]
24 November 2025 RTP1 Vítor Gonçalves NI NI NI NI P NI NI P NI NI NI 483,287 [271][272]
25 November 2025 SIC Clara de Sousa NI P NI P NI NI NI NI NI NI NI 1,242,261 [273][274]
26 November 2025 TVI José Alberto Carvalho P NI NI NI NI NI NI P NI NI NI 737,593 [275][276]
28 November 2025 TVI José Alberto Carvalho NI NI NI P NI P NI NI NI NI NI 1,006,094 [277][278]
29 November 2025 RTP1 Vítor Gonçalves NI P NI NI NI NI NI P NI NI NI 479,279 [279][278]
30 November 2025 SIC Clara de Sousa NI NI NI NI P NI P NI NI NI NI 684,048 [280][278]
1 December 2025 RTP1 Carlos Daniel NI NI P NI NI NI NI P NI NI NI 502,827 [281][278]
2 December 2025 TVI José Alberto Carvalho P NI NI NI NI NI P NI NI NI NI 798,149 [282][283]
3 December 2025 RTP1 Carlos Daniel NI P P NI NI NI NI NI NI NI NI 618,265 [284][285]
4 December 2025 TVI José Alberto Carvalho NI NI NI NI P P NI NI NI NI NI 877,863 [286][287]
6 December 2025 SIC Clara de Sousa NI NI P NI NI P NI NI NI NI NI 843,242 [288][289]
7 December 2025 TVI José Alberto Carvalho NI P NI NI P NI NI NI NI NI NI 781,404 [290][289]
8 December 2025 RTP1 Carlos Daniel NI NI NI NI NI NI P P NI NI NI 489,918 [291][289]
9 December 2025 SIC Clara de Sousa P NI P NI NI NI NI NI NI NI NI 937,825 [292][293]
10 December 2025 RTP1 Carlos Daniel NI NI NI NI NI P P NI NI NI NI 403,857 [294][295]
11 December 2025 SIC Clara de Sousa NI NI NI P NI NI NI P NI NI NI 876,486 [296][295]
12 December 2025 RTP1 Carlos Daniel NI P NI NI NI P NI NI NI NI NI 601,245 [297][298]
13 December 2025 RTP1 Vítor Gonçalves NI NI NI P NI NI P NI NI NI NI 616,336 [299][298]
15 December 2025 RTP1 Carlos Daniel P NI NI P NI NI NI NI NI NI NI 952,009 [300][301]
16 December 2025 RTP1 Vítor Gonçalves NI NI P NI P NI NI NI NI NI NI 737,159 [302][303]
19 December 2025 SIC Clara de Sousa NI NI NI P P NI NI NI NI NI NI 916,011 [304][305]
20 December 2025 TVI José Alberto Carvalho NI NI P NI NI NI P NI NI NI NI 566,655 [306][305]
21 December 2025 RTP1 Vítor Gonçalves NI NI NI NI NI P NI P NI NI NI 407,255 [307][305]
22 December 2025 TVI José Alberto Carvalho P P NI NI NI NI NI NI NI NI NI 800,224 [308][309]
2 January 2026 9:30 Antena 1
TSF
Renascença
Observador		 Natália Carvalho
Susana Madureira Martins
Judith Menezes e Sousa
Rui Pedro Nunes		 P P P P P P P P NI NI NI N/a [310]
5 January 2026 10:00 Antena 1 Natália Carvalho NI NI NI NI NI NI NI NI P P P N/a [311]
6 January 2026 22:00 RTP1 Carlos Daniel P P P P P P P P P P P 405,000 [262][312]
Candidate viewed as "most convincing" in each debate or debates
Date Time Organisers Polling firm
Ind. PSD PS CH IL BE CDU L Ind. Ind. Ind. Notes
Debates 17 Nov – 3 Dec 2025 Aximage 11 22 11 22 15 6 3 4 N/a N/a N/a [e]
Debates 17 Nov 2025 – 5 Jan 2026 Aximage 9 16 14 29 15 4 2 4 N/a N/a N/a [f]
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Second round

The three main TV channels, RTP1, SIC and TVI, agreed to invite the two candidates in the second round for a debate, with both Seguro and Ventura accepting the invitation. The debate was held on 27 January and broadcast simultaneously by the three major networks.[313] Radio stations also invited the two candidates for a one-on-one debate, but the Seguro campaign rejected this invitation and a debate was not be held.[314]

More information Date, Time ...
2026 Portuguese presidential election debates
Date Time Organisers Moderator(s)    P  Present[g]  I Invited 
Viewers
(Average
audience)		 Ref.
PS CH
27 January 2026 20:30 RTP1
SIC
TVI		 Carlos Daniel
Clara de Sousa
Sara Pinto		 P P 3,072,401 [315]
[316]
Candidate viewed as "most convincing" in the debate
Date Time Organisers Polling firm
PS CH Notes
27 January 2026 20:30 RTP1, SIC, TVI Pitagórica 41 16 [h]
Aximage 57 34 [i]
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Endorsements

Main article: Endorsements in the 2026 Portuguese presidential election
More information First-round candidate, First round ...
Endorsements from first-round candidates
First-round candidate First round Endorsement Ref.
João Cotrim de Figueiredo 16.00% Against Ventura[j] [317]
Henrique Gouveia e Melo 12.32% António José Seguro [318]
Luís Marques Mendes 11.30% António José Seguro [319]
Catarina Martins 2.06% António José Seguro [320]
António Filipe 1.64% António José Seguro [321]
Manuel João Vieira 1.08% No endorsement
Jorge Pinto 0.68% António José Seguro [322]
André Pestana 0.19% António José Seguro [323]
Humberto Correia 0.08% No endorsement [324]
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More information Candidate, Parties ...
Party endorsements in the second round
Candidate Parties Ref.
António José Seguro PS [50]
Volt [81]
L [325]
PCP [326]
PEV [327]
BE [328]
PAN [329]
André Ventura CH [60]
ADN [330]
No endorsement PSD[k] [332]
IL[k] [333]
CDS–PP[k] [334]
JPP[l] [336]
PCTP/MRPP [337]
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Opinion polling

Main article: Opinion polling for the 2026 Portuguese presidential election

First round

This section is an excerpt from Opinion polling for the 2026 Portuguese presidential election § Graphical summary.[edit]
Graph of the polling for the 2026 Portuguese presidential election.
Graph of the polling for the 2026 Portuguese presidential election.

Polling aggregations

More information Polling aggregator, Last update ...
Polling aggregator Last update Lead
PSD PS CH CDU BE IL Ind L
First round results 18 January 2026 11.3 31.1 23.5 1.6 2.1 16.0 12.3 0.7 7.6
Observador 16 January 2026 12.9 22.8 22.9 2.4 2.3 20.1 12.7 1.2 0.1
Renascença 16 January 2026 14.8 20.8 21.7 1.7 2.2 17.9 14.5 1.3 0.9
Público 13 January 2026 16.1 20.2 21.7 2.2 3.0 18.6 15.2 1.5 1.5
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Second round

Polling aggregations

More information Polling aggregator, Last update ...
Polling aggregator Last update Lead
PS CH
Second round results 8 February 2026 66.8 33.2 33.6
Observador 6 February 2026 67.4 32.6 34.8
Renascença 3 February 2026 68.3 31.7 36.6
Público 2 February 2026 65.6 34.4 31.2
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Campaign budgets

More information Candidate (Party), Election result ...
Candidate (Party) Election
result		 State subsidy Political
parties
contributions		 Fundraising Total revenue Expenses Debt
Calculated Budgeted Calculated Budgeted
António José Seguro (PS, Volt) 31.1% €1,092,720 €0 €170,000 €1,487,720 €1,130,000
André Ventura (CH) 23.5% €400,000 €300,000 €150,000 €900,000 €900,000
João Cotrim de Figueiredo (IL) 16.0% €350,000 €0 €150,000 €500,000 €500,000
Henrique Gouveia e Melo (PPM) 12.3% €700,000 €0 €305,000 €1,025,000 €1,025,000
Luís Marques Mendes (PSD, CDS–PP) 11.3% €1,000,000 €0 €320,000 €1,320,000 €1,320,000
Catarina Martins (BE) 2.1% €0 €47,450 €0 €3,000 €50,450 €50,450
António Filipe (PCP, PEV) 1.6% €0 €300,000 €80,000 €15,000 €395,000 €395,000
Manuel João Vieira (Ind.) 1.1% €0 €0 €0 €860 €860 €860
Jorge Pinto (L) 0.7% €0 €87,000 €0 €10,000 €97,000 €97,000
André Pestana (MAS) 0.2% €0 €0 €0 €6,200 €7,200
Humberto Correia (Ind.) 0.1% €0
Source: Portuguese Constitutional Court (TC)[338]
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Voter turnout

The table below shows voter turnout throughout election day including voters from Overseas.

First round

More information Turnout, Time ...
Turnout Time
12:00 16:00 19:00
2021 2026 ± 2021 2026 ± 2021 2026 ±
Total 17.07% 21.18% Increase +4.11 pp 35.44% 45.51% Increase +10.07 pp 39.26% 52.39% Increase +13.13 pp
Sources[339][340]
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Voter turnout was higher in the first round compared to 2021, with 5,77 million voters casting a ballot, the second highest number of votes cast in a first round presidential election in Portuguese history, only surpassed by the 1980 turnout, and the third highest turnout in a national election in 30 years, only behind the 2024 and 2025 legislative elections.[341] In Portugal alone, the turnout rate stood at 61.50 percent, an increase of 16.05 percent compared with 2021,[342] while in Overseas constituencies, Europe and Outside of Europe, the turnout rate also increased to 4.09%, compared with the 1.88% from 2021.[343] The overall share of voter turnout, Portugal alone and Overseas combined, stood at 52.39%, a 13.13 percent increase compared with 2021.[344]

Second round

More information Turnout, Time ...
Turnout Time
12:00 16:00 19:00
1st 2nd ± 1st 2nd ± 1st 2nd ±
Total 21.18% 22.35% Increase +1.17 pp 45.51% 45.50% Decrease −0.01 pp 52.39% 50.03% Decrease −2.36 pp
Sources[339][345]
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Due to Storm Kristin and its resulting floods, some localities postponed the second round voting to 15 February: the municipalities of Alcácer do Sal, Arruda dos Vinhos, Golegã, and parts of the municipalities of Cartaxo (parish of Valada), Leiria (parish of Bidoeira de Cima), Rio Maior (parish of Alcobertas and part of parish of Rio Maior), Salvaterra de Magos (parish of Salvaterra de Magos), and Santarém (parts of the city of Santarém and of the parish of São Vicente do Paul).[346][347] These localities comprised 36,852 registered voters.[1] Despite fears of low turnout,[348] it was only slightly lower in the second round compared to the first round, with 5,52 million voters casting a ballot, an overall voter turnout share of 50 percent.[349] In Portugal alone, the turnout rate dropped to 58.67 percent, while on the other hand, Overseas constituencies saw a turnout increase to 4.83 percent.[350]

Results

Seguro delivering his victory speech on 18 January 2026

Seguro was the clear winner of the first round, winning 18 districts, while Ventura won only Faro and Madeira;[351] however, voters overseas gave a clear victory to Ventura.[352] In terms of municipalities, Seguro won 225 out of the country's 308 municipalities, while Ventura was the winner in 80 of them, and Marques Mendes only won 3 municipalities.[353]

In his first round victory speech, Seguro said he that he is "free" and "lives without shackles", adding that there were "no losers" because "we are all democrats". Ventura criticized "socialism" during his election night speech, saying he would "lead the non-socialist space in Portugal" and that "socialism kills, socialism corrupts". João Cotrim Figueiredo criticized Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, who announced his neutrality in the second round, saying that he was to blame for the country having a "President from the PS". Henrique Gouveia e Melo conceded defeat, saying the results "did not meet the objectives" he had set, and that there was the "need to depoliticize the Presidency of the Republic". Luís Marques Mendes also conceded defeat, assuming full responsibility for the outcome. Catarina Martins, António Filipe, and Jorge Pinto endorsed Seguro in their election night speeches.[354]

In the second round, Seguro achieved a landslide victory, winning 306 out of 308 municipalities, 3,115 out of 3,259 civil parishes and all 20 districts, however trailing Ventura by 1,366 in the overseas vote but winning 70 out of 107 consulates.[355][356] In his speech as President-elect, Seguro promised political stability and "loyalty and institutional cooperation" with the government, while being a "demanding President".[357] Ventura conceded defeat, but argued that the results were just a "path" to change and leading the government of Portugal, saying that the party was now the leading right-wing party in Portugal.[358]

National summary

More information Candidate, Party ...
CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
António José SeguroSocialist Party[m]1,755,56331.113,502,61366.84
André VenturaChega1,327,02123.521,737,95033.16
João Cotrim de FigueiredoLiberal Initiative903,05716.00
Henrique Gouveia e MeloIndependent[n]695,37712.32
Luís Marques MendesSocial Democratic Party[o]637,44211.30
Catarina MartinsLeft Bloc116,4072.06
António FilipePortuguese Communist Party[p]92,6441.64
Manuel João VieiraIndependent60,9271.08
Jorge PintoLIVRE38,5880.68
André PestanaIndependent[q]10,8970.19
Humberto CorreiaIndependent4,7730.08
Total5,642,696100.005,240,563100.00
Valid votes5,642,69697.825,240,56395.01
Invalid votes64,5651.1298,3421.78
Blank votes61,2751.06177,0723.21
Total votes5,768,536100.005,515,977100.00
Registered voters/turnout11,009,80352.3911,025,82350.03
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições[344][359]
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Results by district

First round

More information District, Seguro ...
District Seguro Ventura Cotrim Gouveia Mendes Martins Filipe Vieira Pinto Pestana Correia Turnout
Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %
Aveiro 110,454 28.60% 88,367 22.88% 63,199 16.37% 50,320 13.03% 56,534 14.64% 7,596 1.97% 3,001 0.78% 3,366 0.87% 2,311 0.60% 738 0.19% 269 0.07% 61.56%
Azores 28,714 30.79% 24,938 26.74% 12,038 12.91% 9,766 10.47% 12,879 13.81% 2,469 2.65% 589 0.63% 940 1.01% 614 0.66% 213 0.23% 88 0.09% 42.15%
Beja 22,844 33.70% 19,538 28.82% 6,472 9.55% 7,871 11.61% 3,969 5.86% 1,429 2.11% 4,313 6.36% 771 1.14% 338 0.50% 172 0.25% 67 0.10% 58.60%
Braga 157,297 30.76% 114,655 22.42% 84,458 16.51% 54,966 10.75% 78,741 15.40% 8,872 1.73% 4,407 0.86% 3,399 0.66% 3,142 0.61% 1,003 0.20% 483 0.09% 66.76%
Bragança 19,291 30.79% 17,496 27.93% 6,159 9.83% 7,203 11.50% 10,513 16.78% 684 1.09% 377 0.60% 453 0.72% 255 0.41% 145 0.23% 72 0.11% 48.37%
Castelo Branco 39,838 40.20% 23,331 23.54% 11,086 11.19% 11,763 11.87% 8,793 8.87% 1,566 1.58% 1,071 1.08% 912 0.92% 477 0.48% 169 0.17% 87 0.09% 62.39%
Coimbra 77,884 35.47% 42,897 19.54% 32,712 14.90% 29,436 13.41% 24,659 11.23% 4,330 1.97% 3,072 1.40% 2,634 1.20% 1,299 0.59% 531 0.24% 127 0.06% 60.70%
Évora 26,748 33.46% 19,847 24.83% 10,563 13.21% 10,403 13.01% 5,683 7.11% 1,550 1.94% 3,563 4.46% 1,038 1.30% 359 0.45% 122 0.15% 60 0.08% 61.51%
Faro 57,217 26.93% 70,148 33.02% 27,652 13.01% 26,561 12.50% 17,691 8.33% 5,120 2.41% 2,901 1.37% 2,871 1.35% 1,378 0.65% 562 0.26% 368 0.17% 56.48%
Guarda 27,387 35.91% 18,852 24.72% 7,988 10.47% 8,889 11.66% 10,479 13.74% 1,020 1.34% 484 0.63% 554 0.73% 356 0.47% 175 0.23% 75 0.10% 56.34%
Leiria 72,835 29.17% 57,635 23.08% 43,085 17.25% 32,072 12.84% 31,626 12.66% 4,484 1.80% 2,745 1.10% 3,143 1.26% 1,494 0.60% 437 0.17% 169 0.07% 62.10%
Lisbon 389,637 32.45% 240,907 20.06% 231,764 19.30% 155,815 12.98% 104,005 8.66% 25,742 2.14% 25,017 2.08% 16,946 1.41% 8,427 0.70% 1,726 0.14% 679 0.06% 64.12%
Madeira 30,608 22.81% 44,822 33.40% 19,296 14.38% 10,882 8.11% 19,690 14.67% 5,119 3.81% 758 0.56% 1,167 0.87% 1,105 0.82% 546 0.41% 217 0.16% 54.40%
Portalegre 16,660 31.09% 16,600 30.98% 6,095 11.37% 6,849 12.78% 4,183 7.81% 827 1.54% 1,494 2.79% 549 1.02% 201 0.38% 77 0.14% 52 0.10% 59.25%
Porto 321,184 31.77% 211,015 20.87% 176,906 17.50% 122,778 12.14% 124,681 12.33% 21,898 2.17% 12,654 1.25% 7,977 0.79% 9,190 0.91% 1,944 0.19% 761 0.08% 64.96%
Santarém 65,808 28.58% 64,554 28.04% 33,840 14.70% 30,658 13.32% 22,108 9.60% 4,206 1.83% 4,160 1.81% 2,970 1.29% 1,352 0.59% 429 0.19% 152 0.07% 62.25%
Setúbal 147,961 32.24% 113,990 24.84% 64,258 14.00% 62,704 13.66% 28,937 6.31% 11,557 2.52% 17,895 3.90% 7,344 1.60% 3,156 0.69% 772 0.17% 372 0.08% 61.88%
Viana do Castelo 37,281 28.73% 31,941 24.61% 18,113 13.96% 16,785 12.93% 19,969 15.39% 2,022 1.56% 1,401 1.08% 1,015 0.78% 842 0.65% 270 0.21% 140 0.11% 57.25%
Vila Real 31,778 30.75% 26,826 25.96% 11,308 10.94% 12,182 11.79% 17,433 16.87% 1,345 1.30% 772 0.75% 764 0.74% 520 0.50% 256 0.25% 170 0.16% 51.27%
Viseu 57,315 30.03% 49,174 25.77% 24,796 12.99% 23,586 12.36% 29,236 15.32% 2,632 1.38% 1,215 0.64% 1,453 0.76% 855 0.45% 387 0.20% 186 0.10% 58.45%
Overseas 17,023 23.69% 29,409 40.93% 11,413 15.88% 3,755 5.23% 5,726 7.97% 1,945 2.71% 745 1.04% 668 0.93% 915 1.27% 222 0.31% 28 0.04% 4.09%
Source:[19]
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Second round

More information District, Seguro ...
District Seguro Ventura Turnout
Votes % Votes %
Aveiro 242,501 67.50% 116,769 32.50% 58.91%
Azores 60,900 66.44% 30,755 33.56% 41.69%
Beja 41,013 62.45% 24,657 37.55% 58.03%
Braga 318,071 67.04% 156,388 32.96% 63.99%
Bragança 36,199 60.85% 23,290 39.15% 46.97%
Castelo Branco 64,131 68.61% 29,339 31.39% 60.06%
Coimbra 146,769 72.18% 56,582 27.82% 57.69%
Évora 49,607 65.80% 25,787 34.20% 59.76%
Faro 114,728 56.89% 86,933 43.11% 54.79%
Guarda 47,633 65.85% 24,703 34.15% 54.63%
Leiria 145,305 66.89% 71,931 33.11% 55.92%
Lisbon 770,965 70.50% 322,540 29.50% 60.62%
Madeira 76,387 56.17% 59,600 43.83% 55.30%
Portalegre 29,900 59.19% 20,616 40.81% 57.20%
Porto 657,001 70.10% 280,224 29.90% 62.07%
Santarém 127,255 61.08% 81,076 38.92% 58.18%
Setúbal 281,051 66.28% 142,980 33.72% 58.61%
Viana do Castelo 78,264 64.68% 42,740 35.32% 54.94%
Vila Real 61,904 63.48% 35,612 36.52% 49.50%
Viseu 114,840 64.05% 64,445 35.95% 56.28%
Overseas 41,422 49.19% 42,788 50.81% 4.83%
Source:[350]
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Maps

Demographics

First round

More information Demographic, Size ...
Demographic Size Seguro Ventura Cotrim Gouveia Mendes Others
Total vote 100% 31.1% 23.5% 16.0% 12.3% 11.3% 5.8%
Sex
Men N/a 28% 25% 20% 10% 10% 7%
Women N/a 38% 19% 16% 11% 11% 5%
Age
18–34 years old N/a 30% 20% 33% 5% 6% 6%
35–64 years old N/a 31% 27% 18% 11% 8% 5%
65+ years old N/a 37% 18% 10% 15% 16% 4%
Education
No high-school N/a 32% 34% 5% 13% 13% 3%
High-school N/a 26% 29% 19% 10% 9% 7%
College graduate N/a 38% 11% 25% 10% 10% 6%
Vote decision
Less than a week ago N/a 38% 14% 19% 12% 11% 6%
A week or more ago N/a 31% 25% 19% 10% 11% 4%
2025 legislative vote
AD 32% 17% 7% 31% 14% 29% 2%
PS 23% 71% 7% 5% 11% 3% 3%
CH 23% 3% 82% 8% 4% 2% 1%
Source: ICS/ISCTE/Pitagórica exit poll[360][361]
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Second round

More information Demographic, Size ...
Demographic Size Seguro Ventura
Total vote 100% 66.8% 33.2%
Sex
Men N/a 63% 37%
Women N/a 75% 25%
Age
18–34 years old N/a 65% 35%
35–64 years old N/a 65% 35%
65+ years old N/a 76% 24%
Education
No high-school N/a 65% 35%
High-school N/a 61% 39%
College graduate N/a 78% 22%
2025 legislative vote
AD 32% 74% 26%
PS 23% 94% 6%
CH 23% 4% 96%
Others 22% 83% 17%
First round vote
António José Seguro 31% 98% 2%
André Ventura 24% 3% 97%
João Cotrim Figueiredo 16% 69% 31%
Henrique Gouveia Melo 12% 81% 19%
Luís Marques Mendes 11% 85% 15%
Source: ICS/ISCTE/Pitagórica exit poll[362][363]
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More information Demographic, Size ...
Demographic Size Seguro Ventura
Total vote 100% 66.8% 33.2%
Sex
Men 47% 59% 41%
Women 53% 74% 26%
Age
18–24 years old 9% 62% 38%
25–34 years old 13% 58% 42%
35–44 years old 16% 58% 42%
45–54 years old 22% 66% 34%
55–64 years old 19% 70% 30%
65+ years old 20% 81% 19%
Education
No high-school 15% 69% 31%
High-school 28% 58% 42%
College graduate 36% 75% 26%
Monthly income
Until 800€ 8% 70% 30%
801€–1500€ 21% 63% 37%
1501€–2500€ 20% 69% 31%
2501€–3500€ 12% 71% 29%
3500€+ 10% 69% 31%
2025 legislative vote
AD 32% 77% 23%
PS 23% 96% 4%
CH 23% 5% 95%
IL 5% 72% 28%
L 4% 97% 3%
CDU 3% 99% 1%
BE 2% 99% 1%
PAN 1% 83% 17%
First round vote
António José Seguro 31% 98% 2%
André Ventura 24% 2% 98%
João Cotrim Figueiredo 16% 65% 35%
Henrique Gouveia Melo 12% 80% 20%
Luís Marques Mendes 11% 89% 11%
Others 6% 93% 7%
Source: CESOP–UCP exit poll[364]
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See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    Postponed to 15 February 2026 in the municipalities of Alcácer do Sal, Arruda dos Vinhos, Golegã, and parts of the municipalities of Cartaxo, Leiria, Rio Maior, Salvaterra de Magos, and Santarém.[1]
  2. [b]
    Suspended his party membership to run for president
  3. [c]
    Denotes a main invitee attending the event.
  4. [d]
    Denotes a main invitee not attending the event, sending a surrogate in their place.
  5. [e]
    Undecided: 7%.
  6. [f]
    Undecided: 8%.
  7. [g]
    Denotes a main invitee attending the event.
  8. [h]
    Tie: 7%; Neither: 4%; Didn't watch: 29%; Undecided: 3%.
  9. [i]
    Doesn't know: 9%.
  10. [j]
    Cotrim de Figueiredo refused to endorse either candidate, although he made clear that he would not vote for Ventura and would not spoil his ballot.
  11. [k]
    While the official party's or presidential candidate's position was not to endorse either presidential candidate in the second round, certain individuals within the party publicly announced their support for Seguro and their intention to vote for him in the second round.[331]
  12. [l]
    While JPP has previously voted not to endorse any candidate in the first and second rounds, the party's only member of the Assembly of the Republic Filipe Sousa endorsed Seguro.[335]
  13. [m]
    Also supported by Volt Portugal.
  14. [n]
    Supported by the People's Monarchist Party.
  15. [o]
    Also supported by CDS – People's Party.
  16. [p]
    Also supported by the Ecologist Party "The Greens".
  17. [q]
    Supported by the Socialist Alternative Movement.

References

External links

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