2021 Portuguese presidential election

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was elected in 2016 with 52% of the votes on the first round.^[9] He took the oath of office on 9 March 2016 and has been in cohabitation with Socialist Prime Minister António Costa since then.^[10]

In Portugal, the president is the head of state and has mostly ceremonial powers.^[11] However, the president does have some political influence, and can dissolve the Parliament of Portugal if a crisis occurs. The president's official residence is the Belém Palace in Lisbon.^[12]

Under Portuguese law, a candidate must receive a majority of votes (50% plus one vote) to be elected. If no candidate achieved a majority in the first round, a runoff election (i.e., second round, held between the two candidates who received the most votes in the first round) should be held.^[13]

In order to stand for election, each candidate must gather 7,500 signatures of support one month before the election and submit them to the Constitutional Court of Portugal. The Constitutional Court then certifies the candidacies which meet the requirements to appear on the ballot. The highest number of candidacies ever accepted was ten in 2016.^[14]

Voters were also able to vote early, which would happen one week before election day on 17 January 2021. Voters had to register between 10 and 14 January in order to be eligible to cast an early ballot; a total of 246,880 voters requested to vote early in 2021.^[15] On 17 January, 197,903 voters (80.16% of voters that registered) cast an early ballot.^[12][16]

Official logo of the election.

Ballot paper for the 2021 Portuguese presidential election. It includes Eduardo Baptista, a candidate rejected due to insufficient signatures.

There were seven candidates certified to run in this election. In addition, the Constitutional Court rejected Eduardo Baptista's nomination due to insufficient signatures, although his name still appeared on the ballot. Six more individuals had announced their intention to run for President, but did not present any application to the Court, two of whom publicly stated that they would withdraw. Finally, three more individuals were, for a while, thought of as potential candidates, but later refused to participate.

• Ana Gomes, diplomat and former Socialist Party MEP (2004–2019);^[17][18]
• André Ventura, CHEGA (CH) leader;^[19]
• João Ferreira, Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) candidate, MEP since 2009;^[20]
• Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of the Republic since 2016;^[21][22]
• Marisa Matias, Left Bloc (BE) MEP (since 2009); presidential candidate in 2016, polled third place with 10% of the votes;^[23]
• Tiago Mayan Gonçalves, Liberal Initiative (IL) candidate;^[24][25]
• Vitorino Silva (Tino de Rans), React, Include, Recycle (RIR) leader; presidential candidate in 2016, polled 6th place with 3.3% of the votes;^[26][27]

• Eduardo Baptista, NATO Staff Officer, Independent;^[28][c]

• Carla Bastos, Socialist Party member, Finances inspector;^[29]
• Orlando Cruz, former People's Party member;^[26]
• Paulo Alves, Together for the People party member, former member of the Felgueiras municipal assembly (2005-2009) ^[30]
• Paulo Patinha Antão, unemployed^[31]

• Bruno Fialho, Democratic Republican Party (PDR) leader;^[32]
• Gonçalo da Câmara Pereira, People's Monarchist Party (PPM) president, fado singer, actor and rural producer^[33]

• Adolfo Mesquita Nunes, former Secretary of State for Tourism (2013–2015) and People's Party MP (2011–2013).^[34]
• António Sampaio da Nóvoa, former Rector of the University of Lisbon (2006–2013); presidential candidate in 2016, polled second place with almost 23% of the vote;^[35]
• Miguel Albuquerque, President of the Regional Government of Madeira since 2015; former Mayor of Funchal (1994–2013).^[36]

At the beginning of the electoral campaign, the president of the French National Rally party, Marine Le Pen, confirmed that she would go to Lisbon to support André Ventura's presidential candidacy.^[37]

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

Turnout	Time
	12:00			16:00			19:00
	2016	2021	±	2016	2021	±	2016	2021	±
Total	15.82%	17.07%	1.25 pp	37.69%	35.44%	2.25 pp	48.66%	39.26%	9.40 pp
Sources[49][50]

• 
  Strongest candidate by municipality: Marcelo - orange.
• 
  First, second and third most voted candidates by district: Marcelo - orange; Gomes - pink; Ventura - dark blue; Ferreira - red.
• 
  First, second and third most voted candidates by municipality: Marcelo - orange; Gomes - pink; Ventura - dark blue; Ferreira - red; Vitorino Silva - Light Sea Green.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa won the third highest vote margin ever in presidential elections in Portugal since democracy was restored, only behind Mário Soares' 70.35% in 1991 and António Ramalho Eanes' 61.59% in 1976.^[51] He was also the first candidate ever to win the vote in all municipalities.^[52]

Ana Gomes became the most voted woman ever in presidential elections in Portugal, beating Marisa Matias' previous record of 10.12% in 2016, and the first to get second place.^[53]

• Official results site, Portuguese Justice Ministry
• Portuguese Electoral Commission
• ERC – Official publication of polls