Polling stations opened at 9am local time (09:00 GMT) on Sunday (8 February) for Portugal’s presidential run-off, the first in 40 years, with 11 million voters eligible.
Voters face a choice between:
• Antonio Jose Seguro, 63, Socialist Party leader, who won 31.1% in January’s first round.
• Andre Ventura, nationalist Chega leader, who secured 23.5%.
Exit polls are expected around 9pm local time (21:00 GMT), with most official results by midnight (00:00 GMT). While Seguro is favoured to win, Ventura’s performance will gauge far-right support.
The vote coincides with severe storms and flooding, which have:
• Killed at least 7 people
• Displaced voters in 14 constituencies (approx. 32,000 voters), delaying polls by a week
• Caused €4bn ($4.7bn) in damage
Prime Minister Luis Montenegro called the crisis “devastating” but confirmed voting could continue. Outgoing President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa noted prior elections proceeded despite emergencies.
ℹ️ Al Jazeera
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