Portugal encourages early voting for legislative elections in full wave Omicron
Audio 01:07
The Portuguese are invited to vote in advance for the legislative elections of January 30, in order to avoid the mixing of voters.
Here, a Portuguese woman votes in Porto, January 23, 2022. © Patricia de Melo Moreira, AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
While Portugal is still under measures to counter the wave of infections due to the Omicron variant of Covid-19, some 315,000 voters are called to the polls for early legislative elections.
The vote officially takes place on Sunday January 30, but the government wants to minimize population mixing and invites the Portuguese to vote in advance from Sunday January 23.
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With our correspondent in Lisbon,
Marie-Line Darcy
Served by the metro, the Lisbon university campus has several polling stations.
The motivation is there, as proven by Fatima, 90 years old in the spring: “
I am from Faro, in the South.
I was sad that I couldn't vote, so I took my chance.
I find it dangerous to allow large gatherings.
With
all these cases of Covid-19
spreading, it's risky
!
»
We look for his polling station in front of large signs installed in front of the faculties, giving the university the look of an exam day.
Anticipation of the vote is a well-received initiative:
“
I have already voted in advance
, explains Margarida Silva.
And I find it very practical in this context of Covid-19, to avoid too many people accumulating in the same place on January 30.
Because it would be nice if people went to vote to fight high abstention.
Me, I'm not afraid at all.
»
The fear of rubbing shoulders with the 315,000 voters on January 30 could divert some from the ballot.
But early voting wants to try to minimize the impact on abstention.
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To read also:
Portugal plunged into a political crisis
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