The so-called mobility vote means that “anyone will be able to vote anywhere in the world, where there is a polling station”, explained João Almeida, from the CNE.
Abroad, polling stations operate at Portuguese diplomatic facilities, on the 8th and 9th, until 8:00 pm on Sunday in Lisbon.
Citizens do not have to inform in advance or register to vote outside their usual polling station, that is, they just need to show up.
This measure seeks to combat abstention on a date that coincides with a long weekend, due to the national holiday on June 10th, or even with holidays, as in Lisbon, there is also a municipal holiday on the 13th.
The Internet Voter Portal will provide georeferencing of polling stations, informing, for example, which one is closest to where the voter is, as well as an indication of waiting times.
As in previous elections, early voting continues, with prior registration, taking place a week before, on June 2nd. However, if the registered voter does not vote on that day, he or she can do so on the 9th.
Abstention in Portugal in the last European elections, in May 2019, was the highest recorded in the country, 68.6%, a result that representatives of the European Parliament and the European Commission in Portugal classified as “frustrating” and “painful”, especially because they went against the trend registered in the other Member States.
The elections for the European Parliament, in which voters from the 27 Member States choose the 720 deputies, take place between June 6th and 9th. In Portugal, voting is scheduled for the 9th, choosing the 21 national representatives in the European hemicycle.