The votes of Portuguese emigrants will result in the election of four deputies, who could influence the final result of this electoral act since the AD elected 79 deputies and the PS 77.

Of the more than 1.5 million ballots sent by Portugal to these voters, since February 4th, 211,855 response letters have been received to date, sent by voters residing abroad.

Letters with voting ballots began arriving on February 20th and the majority were sent from Europe 186,100 (88%), followed by America (21,471, 10%), Africa (3,404, 2%) and Asia and Oceania (880).

The 211,855 letters received represent 13.74% of the ballots sent.

In relation to the 2022 elections, when 128,793 letters had arrived in the same period, representing 8.48% of the letters sent, the numbers calculated today show an increase of almost two-thirds (64.49%).

On the 18th, 19th and 20th of March, the votes of these emigrants will be collected and counted, with the results of their voting scheduled for the end of the 20th.

Only after that date, and after hearing the parties with parliamentary representation, will the President of the Republic nominate the new Prime Minister.

The Democratic Alliance (AD), which brings together PSD, CDS and PPM, with 29.49% of the votes counted, won 79 deputies in the Assembly of the Republic, in Sunday's legislative elections, against 77 for the PS (28.66%), following Chega has 48 elected deputies (18.06%).

IL, with eight seats, BE, with five, and PAN, with one, maintained the number of deputies. Livre went from one to four elected representatives while the CDU lost two seats and was left with four deputies.