Flooded Parishes in Portugal Vote Today in Delayed Presidential Runoff

The Portugal National Electoral Commission (CNE) has quietly shifted ballot-boxes in parts of six districts, a decision that allows roughly 37,000 registered voters to cast their presidential run-off vote today after storms made polling impossible last Sunday.

Why This Matters

• Your polling station may have moved: Several mesas de voto have new addresses or opening hours; check the municipal website before heading out.

• Final result will be a week late: National totals cannot be certified until every deferred parish reports, pushing the official proclamation into the second half of February.

• Only one postponement is legal: If weather closes stations again, the ballots from those parishes are annulled under Article 81 of the Presidential Election Law.

• Travel refunds possible: Residents who already spent money reaching a closed station can request reimbursement from their local junta.

What Happened

Heavy rain from the winter systems Kristin, Leonardo and Marta flooded parts of Ribatejo and the Alentejo in the first week of February. By dawn on 8 February, roads to several rural polling centres were underwater. Under Portuguese law a vote must be interrupted if the mesa de voto is unable to operate for more than 3 hours. Around 10:15 the mayors of Alcácer do Sal, Arruda dos Vinhos and Golegã triggered that clause, notifying the CNE of a “calamity” and ordering a one-week delay.

Where the Ballot Was Pushed to Today

Entire municipalities:

• Alcácer do Sal (Setúbal District)

• Arruda dos Vinhos (Lisbon District)

• Golegã (Santarém District)

Specific parishes only:

• São Vicente do Paul and the Union of Parishes of Santarém City

• Bidoeira de Cima in Leiria

• Parts of Rio Maior, Cartaxo and Salvaterra de Magos

The CNE’s consolidated list shows 36,852 electors across 20 parishes voting today. Earlier estimates ranged from 32,000 to 53,000, reflecting the fluid situation as weather alerts shifted.

The Rulebook That Allows a One-Week Pause

Portugal’s presidential law is concise: a single postponement, always to the following Sunday, is permitted when conditions constitute calamidade pública. The mayor (or, in the islands, the Representative of the Republic) makes the call. No national authority may override a local stoppage, and the leeway cannot be used twice. Ballots already cast elsewhere were counted on 8 February; today’s votes will simply be added to that spreadsheet. The Interior Ministry’s IT team will merge the two data sets in Lisbon tonight.

Political Spin versus Practicalities

Right-leaning challenger André Ventura demanded a blanket delay, arguing that unequal turnout would skew legitimacy. The centre-left incumbent-elect António José Seguro replied that a nationwide pause would “hold the country hostage to the weather”. Smaller parties fell in line with the CNE, choosing legal certainty over political theatre. Constitutional lawyers stress that expanding the postponement beyond affected parishes would violate the principle of proportionality enshrined in the 1976 Constitution.

What This Means for Residents

• Check ID validity: The cartão de cidadão must still be valid; extensions granted during the pandemic ended 31 December 2025.

• Voting hours are shorter in some coastal parishes (08:00-18:00 instead of 19:00) to allow counting teams to reach district capitals before midnight.

• Public transport fares on Fertagus, CP Regional and Carris Metropolitana are being refunded today for riders headed to affected polling locales—keep the ticket stub.

• Result night parties pushed back: Media houses will run partial exit polls only; definitive totals are unlikely before early Monday.

When to Expect Final Results

The CNE plans to publish the provisional national tally by 23:00 tonight. Municipal results from Alcácer do Sal—a sprawling area with difficult road access—may drift into the small hours. The Constitutional Court must then validate the process within five days, meaning the formal inauguration date of 9 March remains on track.

Looking Ahead

Climate researchers at Portugal’s Disaster Risk Observatory note that the Tejo basin has flooded 3 times in the past decade during an electoral cycle. They recommend that the next revision of the electoral code include contingency mail-in ballots for parishes designated at high flood risk. Whether the incoming president embraces that advice could decide how often voters in low-lying Ribatejo need to swap their Sunday shoes for rubber boots.