Portuguese presidential election, 2016

Portuguese presidential election, 2016

24 January 2016

Turnout 48.66%   Candidate Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa António Sampaio da Nóvoa Marisa Matias Party PSD Independent BE Popular vote 2,413,956 1,062,138 469,814 Percentage 52.0% 22.9% 10.1%   Candidate Maria de Belém Edgar Silva Vitorino Silva Party PS Communist Independent Popular vote 196,765 183,051 152,374 Percentage 4.2% 3.9% 3.3%

President before election Cavaco Silva PSD President-elect Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa PSD

A Portuguese presidential election was held on 24 January 2016. This election chose the successor to the President Aníbal Cavaco Silva, who was constitutionally not allowed to run for a third consecutive term.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the candidate supported by the PSD, CDS-PP and PPM, won the election on the first round with 52% of the vote. Marcelo also won in every single district in the country and only lost a few municipalities in the south of the country. Turnout was higher than that of the 2011 election, but reached a record low in a presidential election with no incumbents as only 48.66% of the electorate cast a ballot.

Background and election procedure

Aníbal Cavaco Silva had served two consecutive five-year terms as president, the maximum number, and the 2016 election was to choose a successor for a term beginning on March 9. In Portugal, the president is the head of state, but has mostly ceremonial, as opposed to executive, powers. However, the president does have some political influence and can dissolve the Parliament of Portugal if a crisis occurs.^[1][2] The president also has an official residence in the Belém Palace in Lisbon.^[2]

In order to stand for election, candidates had to each gather 7,500 signatures of support one month before the election, and submit them to the Constitutional Court of Portugal. On December 29, 2015, the Constitutional Court certified ten candidates as having met the requirements to appear on the ballot. This was a record number; the highest number of presidential candidates had previously been six.^[1]

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) would have been held on February 14.^[1][2]

Portugal has about 9.7 million registered voters.^[1]

Candidates

Official candidates

• Henrique Neto, member and former MP of the Socialist Party.^[3][4]
• António Sampaio da Nóvoa, independent candidate and former rector of the University of Lisbon (2006–2013),^[5][6][7] supported by the LIVRE and the PCTP/MRPP.
• Cândido Ferreira, independent candidate, former member of the Socialist Party.^[8]
• Edgar Silva, regional MP for the Legislative Assembly of Madeira from the Portuguese Communist Party, supported by the Portuguese Communist Party.^[9][10]
• Jorge Sequeira, psychologist, researcher and university professor.^[11]
• Vitorino Silva, independent candidate, more commonly known as Tino de Rans.^[12]
• Marisa Matias, sociologist who has worked in the areas of environment and public health, and European MEP of the European United Left–Nordic Green Left, supported by the Left Bloc^[13][14] and the MAS.^[15]
• Maria de Belém, former president of the Socialist Party (2011-2014)^[16][17]
• Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, former leader of the Social Democratic Party (1996–1999), supported by the Social Democratic Party and the CDS – People's Party.^{[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]}
• Paulo de Morais, independent candidate, former deputy mayor of Porto (2002–2005), anti-corruption activist.^[28][29]

Unsuccessful candidates

• Manuel João Vieira, independent candidate.^[30]
• Manuel Almeida, independent.^[31]
• Paulo Freitas do Amaral, university professor, former mayor of Oeiras; withdrew and supported Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.^[32]
• Orlando Cruz, withdrew in favour of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.^[33]
• Graça Castanho, withdrew due to having lost her nomination signatures in a storm.^[34]
• Castanheira Barros, independent candidate, former member of the Social Democratic Party; withdrew and supported Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.^[35]
• Manuela Gonzaga, historian and writer; was supported by the People–Animals–Nature.^[36]

Decided not to run

• Fernando Nobre, Independent candidate which had contested the previous presidential election.^[37]
• António Vitorino, former European Commissioner (1999–2004).^[38]
• Paulo Portas, former leader of the CDS – People's Party (1998–2005, 2007–2016), former Minister of National Defence (2002–2005) and of Foreign Affairs (2011–2013) and also former Deputy Prime Minister (2013–2015).^[39]
• Manuela Ferreira Leite, former leader of the Social Democratic Party (2008–2010).^[40]
• António Guterres, former Prime Minister (1995–2002).^[41]
• Manuel Carvalho da Silva, former union leader of CGTP (1986–2012).^[42]
• Pedro Santana Lopes, former Prime Minister (2004–2005).^[43]
• Rui Rio, former mayor of Porto (2002–2013).^[44]
• Alberto João Jardim, former President of the Regional Government of Madeira (1978-2015).^[45]

Opinion polling

First round

Date(s) administered	Poll source	Sample size											Others/ Undecided
			Marcelo PSD, CDS-PP	Belém Ind.	Nóvoa Ind.	Neto Ind.	E. Silva PCP	Matias BE	Morais Ind.	Ferreira Ind.	V. Silva Ind.	Sequeira Ind.
24 January 2016	Election Results	48.7%	52.0	4.2	22.9	0.8	3.9	10.1	2.2	0.2	3.2	0.3	N/A
24 Jan	UCP–CESOP[lower-alpha 1]	31,018	51.5	4.0	23.5	1.0	4.0	10.0	2.0	0.5	3.0	0.5	N/A
24 Jan	Eurosondagem[lower-alpha 1]	43,678	52.5	4.1	23.0	1.1	3.6	10.1	2.0	0.5	3.2	0.5	N/A
24 Jan	Intercampus[lower-alpha 1]	15,481	53.3	4.4	21.3		3.4	10.6					7.0
Exit Polls
16–20 Jan	Aximage	1,301	51.5	9.0	22.6	0.8	5.2	6.6	2.3	0.1	1.8	0.1
14–20 Jan	Intercampus	1,043	51.8	10.1	16.9	2.3	4.6	7.9	2.9	0.5	2.5	0.6
14–19 Jan	Eurosondagem	2,025	55.0	13.3	19.0	1.1	3.7	5.3	2.2	0.1	0.2	0.1	16.1[46]
16–17 Jan	UCP–CESOP	3,340	52.0	8.0	22.0	1.0	3.0	8.0	3.0	0.5	2.0	0.5
7–13 Jan	Eurosondagem	1,516	54.8	16.3	16.8	1.1	4.0	4.8	1.6	0.2	0.2	0.2	17.7[47]
2–5 Jan	Aximage	602	52.9	11.8	16.9	1.0	2.9	2.8	2.9				8.8
2016
16–21 Dec	Eurosondagem	1,515	52.5	18.1	16.9	1.3	4.7	4.8	1.7
5–6 Dec	UCP–CESOP	1,183	62.0	14.0	15.0	1.0	3.0	3.0	1.0				1.0
28 Nov–2 Dec	Aximage	605	54.6	13.4	13.2	0.4	1.9	2.4	1.1				13.0
13–18 Nov	Eurosondagem	1,510	48.0	18.9	16.7	2.2	5.2	6.9	1.1				1.0
31 Oct–4 Nov	Aximage	603	56.9	13.1	15.3		2.1						12.9
26 Sep–1 Oct	Aximage	1,387	29.7	14.7	13.0	1.1	JS (10.3)						31.2[48]
23–30 Sep	Intercampus	1,013	49.3	17.0	10.1	1.4							22.2[49]
2015

Hypothetical runoff polling

Hypothetical runoffs by different candidates. 

Date(s) administered	Poll source	Sample size
			Marcelo PSD	Rio PSD	Santana PSD	Barroso PSD	Guterres PS	Vitorino PS	Silva Ind.	Nóvoa Ind.	Belém PS	Gama PS
14–20 Jan	Intercampus	1,043	68.4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	31.6	-
			67.0	-	-	-	-	-	-	33.0	-	-
14–19 Jan	Eurosondagem	2,025	65.2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	34.8	-
			64.8	-	-	-	-	-	-	35.2	-	-
7–13 Jan	Eurosondagem	1,516	63.7	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	36.3	-
			63.0	-	-	-	-	-	-	37.0	-	-
2016
16–21 Dec	Eurosondagem	1,515	62.5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	37.5	-
			62.1	-	-	-	-	-	-	37.9	-	-
5–6 Dec	UCP–CESOP	1,183	57.0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	17.0	-
			57.0	-	-	-	-	-	-	17.0	-	-
4–8 Feb	Aximage	608	65.9	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	34.1	-
			65.7	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	34.3
			62.8	-	-	-	-	37.2	-	-	-	-
			-	59.6	-	-	-	-	-	-	40.4	-
			-	67.7	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	32.3
			-	54.8	-	-	-	45.2	-	-	-	-
			-	-	24.9	-	-	75.1	-	-	-	-
			-	-	35.2	-	-	-	-	-	64.8	-
			-	-	34.9	-	-	-	-	-	-	65.1
8–14 Jan	Eurosondagem	1,010	47.5	-	-	-	52.5	-	-	-	-	-
			-	45.9	-	-	54.1	-	-	-	-	-
			-	-	44.8	-	55.2	-	-	-	-	-
			48.0	-	-	-	-	52.0	-	-	-	-
			-	46.1	-	-	-	53.9	-	-	-	-
			-	-	43.4	-	-	56.6	-	-	-	-
			61.1	-	-	-	-	-	-	38.9	-	-
			-	56.5	-	-	-	-	-	43.5	-	-
			-	-	58.3	-	-	-	-	41.7	-	-
2015
17–21 Nov	Eurosondagem	1,033	-	-	-	39.7	60.3	-	-	-	-	-
			47.4	-	-	-	52.6	-	-	-	-	-
			-	-	41.3	-	58.7	-	-	-	-	-
			-	44.2	-	-	55.8	-	-	-	-	-
			-	-	-	40.7	-	59.3	-	-	-	-
			48.2	-	-	-	-	51.8	-	-	-	-
			-	-	44.5	-	-	55.5	-	-	-	-
			-	47.5	-	-	-	52.5	-	-	-	-
			-	-	-	55.2	-	-	44.8	-	-	-
			64.9	-	-	-	-	-	35.1	-	-	-
			-	-	58.0	-	-	-	42.0	-	-	-
			-	64.8	-	-	-	-	35.2	-	-	-
			-	-	-	69.5	-	-	-	30.5	-	-
			70.2	-	-	-	-	-	-	29.8	-	-
			-	-	65.1	-	-	-	-	34.9	-	-
			-	70.6	-	-	-	-	-	29.4	-	-
2014

Centre-Right/Right

Polling of the most popular candidate on the right. 

Date(s) administered	Poll source	Sample size											Others/ Undecided
			Marcelo PSD	Rio PSD	Santana PSD	Barroso PSD	Portas CDS–PP	Mendes PSD	Esteves PSD	Beleza PSD	Leite PSD	Morais Ind.
12–16 Jul	Aximage	607	46.2	36.7	-	6.5	-	-	-	-	-	-	10.6
2–7 Jul	Eurosondagem	1,025	29.6	24.8	16.9	-	-	-	-	-	-	2.0	26.7
3–6 Mar	Aximage[50]	600	49.8	35.7	5.6	-	-	-	-	-	7.0	-	1.9
3–6 Mar	Aximage[51]	600	39.7	40.2	4.8	-	-	-	-	-	8.6	-	6.7
2015
6–9 Dez	Aximage	609	44.2	32.3	4.2	8.2	-	-	-	4.3	-	-	6.8
30 Oct–5 Nov	Eurosondagem	1,005	29.3	26.4	13.3	6.9	4.8	2.5	2.1	-	-	-	14.7
2013
5–7 Mar	Aximage	600	40.0	-	9.3	22.9	-	-	-	8.3	-	-	19.5
2012

Centre-Left/Left

Polling of the most popular candidate on the left. 

Date(s) administered	Poll source	Sample size												Others/ Undecided
			Costa PS	Guterres PS	Sócrates PS	Vitorino PS	Silva Ind.	Rodrigues PS	Nóvoa Ind.	Belém PS	Seguro PS	Oliveira Martins Ind.	Neto PS
12–16 Jul	Aximage	607	-	-	-	-	-	-	25.9	32.4	-	18.1	-	23.7
2–7 Jul	Eurosondagem	1,025	-	-	-	-	-	-	33.3	25.0	-	-	4.8	36.9
3–6 Mar	Aximage[52]	600	-	-	-	39.5	20.0	-	-	25.7	8.8	-	-	6.0
3–6 Mar	Aximage[51]	600	-	-	-	42.4	10.7	-	-	21.1	13.4	-	-	12.4
2015
6–9 Dez	Aximage	609	43.8	27.3	-	-	6.3	-	3.1	10.4	-	-	-	9.1
30 Oct–5 Nov	Eurosondagem	1,005	26.6	20.9	13.7	10.0	6.5	3.3	2.2	-	-	-	-	16.8
2013
5–7 Mar	Aximage	600	33.1	25.4	-	-	10.3	-	-	15.0	-	-	-	16.2
2012

Presidential debates

There will be several number of debates between all the candidates in the three TV networks RTP, SIC, TVI. In the end there will be a final debate between all of candidates.^[53]

Completed televised debates:

Organizer	Participants	Date	Moderator	Notes
RTP1	Sampaio da Nóvoa ; Marisa Matias (BE)	1 January	José Rodrigues dos Santos
SIC Notícias	Maria de Belém ; Paulo de Morais		Anselmo Crespo
TVI24	Henrique Neto ; Edgar Silva (PCP)		Paulo Magalhães
TVI24	Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (PSD/CDS-PP) ; Vitorino Silva; Jorge Sequeira; Cândido Ferreira		Paulo Magalhães
RTP1	Sampaio da Nóvoa ; Henrique Neto	2 January	José Rodrigues dos Santos
SIC Notícias	Marisa Matias (BE) ; Paulo de Morais		Anselmo Crespo
TVI24	Maria de Belém ; Edgar Silva (PCP)		Paulo Magalhães
RTP1	Edgar Silva (PCP) ; Paulo de Morais	3 January	José Rodrigues dos Santos
SIC Notícias	Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (PSD/CDS-PP) ; Henrique Neto		Anselmo Crespo
TVI24	Maria de Belém ; Marisa Matias (BE)		Paulo Magalhães
Antena 1	Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (PSD/CDS-PP); Sampaio da Nóvoa ; Maria de Belém; Henrique Neto; Paulo de Morais; Marisa Matias (BE); Edgar Silva (PCP); Vitorino Silva; Jorge Sequeira; Cândido Ferreira	4 January	Maria Flor Pedroso	Radio Debate
RTP1	Maria de Belém ; Henrique Neto		João Adelino Faria
SIC Notícias	Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (PSD/CDS-PP) ; Marisa Matias (BE)		Anselmo Crespo
TVI24	Sampaio da Nóvoa ; Edgar Silva (PCP)		Paulo Magalhães
RTP1	Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (PSD/CDS-PP) ; Edgar Silva (PCP)	5 January	João Adelino Faria
SIC Notícias	Henrique Neto ; Marisa Matias (BE)		Anselmo Crespo
TVI24	Sampaio da Nóvoa ; Paulo de Morais		Paulo Magalhães
SIC Notícias	Sampaio da Nóvoa ; Vitorino Silva; Jorge Sequeira		Anselmo Crespo
RTP1	Marisa Matias (BE) ; Edgar Silva (PCP)	6 January	João Adelino Faria
SIC Notícias	Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (PSD/CDS-PP) ; Paulo de Morais		Anselmo Crespo
TVI24	Henrique Neto ; Paulo de Morais		Paulo Magalhães
RTP1	Maria de Belém; Vitorino Silva; Jorge Sequeira	7 January	João Adelino Faria
SIC	Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (PSD/CDS-PP) ; Sampaio da Nóvoa		Clara de Sousa
RTP1	Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (PSD/CDS-PP) ; Maria de Belém	8 January	João Adelino Faria
TVI	Sampaio da Nóvoa ; Maria de Belém	9 January	Judite de Sousa
RTP1	Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (PSD/CDS-PP); Sampaio da Nóvoa ; Henrique Neto; Paulo de Morais; Marisa Matias (BE); Edgar Silva (PCP); Vitorino Silva; Jorge Sequeira; Cândido Ferreira	19 January	Carlos Daniel Vítor Gonçalves	Debate between all the candidates except Maria de Belém.[54][lower-alpha 2]

Campaign budgets

Candidate (party)	Election Result	State Subsidy		Political Parties Contributions	Fundraising	Total Revenue		Expenses	Debt
		Calculated	Budgeted			Calculated	Budgeted
R. Sousa, MarceloMarcelo R. Sousa (PSD, CDS-PP, PPM)	52.0%	€0	€90,000	€0	€67,000	€0	€157,000	€157,000	€0
da Nóvoa, SampaioSampaio da Nóvoa (I)	22.9%	€0	€798,000	€0	€170,000	€0	€968,000	€742,000	€0
Matias, MarisaMarisa Matias (BE, MAS)	10.1%	€0	€308,660	€0	€146,000	€0	€454,660	€454,660	€0
de Belém, MariaMaria de Belém (I)	4.2%	€0	€790,656	€0	€105,970	€0	€896,626	€650,000	€0
Silva, EdgarEdgar Silva (PCP)	3.9%	€0	€377,750	€342,250	€30,000	€0	€750,000	€750,000	€0
Silva, VitorinoVitorino Silva (I)	3.3%	€0	€0	€0	€50,000	€0	€50,000	€50,000	€0
de Morais, PauloPaulo de Morais (I)	2.2%	€0	€61,000	€0	€32,000	€0	€93,000	€93,000	€0
Neto, HenriqueHenrique Neto (I)	0.8%	€0	€199,000	€0	€76,000	€0	€275,000	€275,000	€0
Sequeira, JorgeJorge Sequeira (I)	0.3%	€0	€0	€0	€123,500	€0	€123,500	€123,500	€0
Ferreira, CândidoCândido Ferreira (I)	0.2%	€0	€0	€0	€60,000	€0	€60,000	€60,000	€0
Source: Portuguese Constitutional Court (TC)[55]

Results

Candidate receiving most votes, per municipality: Marcelo - orange; Nóvoa - magenta; Edgar Silva - red

Summary of the 24 January 2016 Portuguese presidential election results

Candidates		Supporting parties	First round
			Votes	%
	Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa	Social Democratic Party, People's Party, People's Monarchist Party	2,413,956	52.00
	António Sampaio da Nóvoa	Independent supported by the Portuguese Workers' Communist Party, LIVRE	1,062,138	22.88
	Marisa Matias	Left Bloc, Socialist Alternative Movement	469,814	10.12
	Maria de Belém	Independent	196,765	4.24
	Edgar Silva	Portuguese Communist Party	183,051	3.94
	Vitorino Silva	Independent	152,374	3.28
	Paulo de Morais	Independent	100,191	2.16
	Henrique Neto	Independent	39,163	0.84
	Jorge Sequeira	Independent	13,954	0.30
	Cândido Ferreira	Independent	10,609	0.23
Total valid			4,642,015	100.00
Blank ballots			58,964	1.24
Invalid ballots			43,588	0.92
Total (turnout 48.66%)			4,744,597
Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições

Vote share 1st Round
Marcelo R. de Sousa			52.00%
Sampaio da Nóvoa			22.88%
Marisa Matias			10.12%
Maria de Belém			4.24%
Edgar Silva			3.94%
Vitorino Silva			3.28%
Paulo de Morais			2.16%
Henrique Neto			0.84%
Jorge Sequeira			0.30%
Cândido Ferreira			0.23%
Blank/Invalid			2.16%
Abstention			51.34%

See also

• President of Portugal
• Politics of Portugal

Notes

1. This poll provides data ranges and/or approximations. In order to simplify, the average of these data is given.
2. Maria de Belém Roseira was invited to the debate, but did not participate because of the death, the day before, of António de Almeida Santos, her supporter in the campaign.

References

1. 10 candidates to run in Portugal's presidential election, Associated Press (December 30, 2015).
2. Portugal presidential election likely to go into runoff, Deutsche Welle (January 21, 2016).
3. Henrique Neto recolhe mais de 7900 assinaturas TSF, 11 December 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015
4. Henrique Neto candidata-se a Belém com soluções à esquerda e à direita, Jornal i, 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
5. Sampaio da Nóvoa. O novo ídolo da esquerda, Jornal i, 15 September 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
6. http://visao.sapo.pt/sampaio-da-novoa-avanca-oficialmente-a-29-de-abril=f816976
7. Candidato presidencial Sampaio da Nóvoa “praticamente seguro” de segunda volta, Observador, 22 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
8. Médico Cândido Ferreira apresenta candidatura a 25 de abril em Cantanhede
9. Edgar Silva formaliza candidatura à Presidência e garante não ter “amarras”, Público, 7 December 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
10. PCP já tem candidato às presidenciais. Saiba quem é o padre Edgar Silva, Diário Económico, 8 October 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
11. Jorge Sequeira apresenta assinaturas e quer Portugal sem "partidocracia", Porto Canal, 22 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
12. Tino de Rans é candidato e tem 8.118 apoiantes, Diário de Notícias, 23 December 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
13. Marisa Matias formaliza candidatura a Presidente da República, Esquerda.net, 17 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
14. Marisa Matias é candidata à Presidência da República, Esquerda.net, 18 de Outubro de 2015.
15. Contra a austeridade, votar Marisa Matias nas Presidenciais e exigir que o Governo devolva o que a direita roubou
16. Maria de Belém entrega assinaturas no Tribunal Constitucional e diz confiar na vitória , RTP Notícias, 22 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
17. Oficial: Maria de Belém comunicou a Costa que será candidata à Presidência, Observador, 17 August 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
18. Passos e Portas formalizam apoio a Marcelo, Observador, 10 de Novembro de 2015. Vista em10 de Novembro de 2015.
19. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa admite candidatura às presidenciais de 2016, SIC Notícias, 27 de Outubro de 2013. Vista em 24 de Agosto de 2014.
20. PSD começa a acreditar que Marcelo é candidato, SOL, 5 de Abril de 2015. Vista em 5 de Abril de 2015.
21. Marcelo já decidiu avançar, SOL, 21 de Agosto de 2015. Vista em 21 de Agosto de 2015.
22. Belém: Caminho mais aberto para Marcelo, Observador, 29 de Agosto de 2015. Vista em 29 de Agosto de 2015.
23. Passos Coelho não afasta apoio nas presidenciais. Marcelo sorri, Observador, 5 de Setembro de 2015. Vista em 5 de Setembro de 2015.
24. Marcelo aproxima-se de Passos. “Tem de ser”, Expresso, 20 de Setembro de 2015. Vista em 20 de Setembro de 2015.
25. Marcelo: “Estou mais bem situado” que Rui Rio para as presidenciais, Observador, 2 de Outubro de 2015. Vista em 3 de Outubro de 2015.
26. Presidenciais: Marcelo já tomou a decisão e tudo indica que avança, Público, 5 de Outubro de 2015. Vista em 6 de Outubro de 2015.
27. Marcelo apresenta candidatura hoje às 18h00, Observador, 9 de Outubro de 2015. Vista em 9 de Outubro de 2015.
28. Mais um candidato a Belém. Agora é Paulo Morais, Observador, 9 April 2015. Retrieved 9 April.
29. Paulo Morais, o primeiro candidato oficial
30. Candidato Vieira - Página Oficial
31. Pronto para a rentrée? Responda ao quiz da silly season, Observador, 13 August 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
32. (26 November 2015) "Paulo Freitas do Amaral desiste da candidatura presidencial" TVI 24. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
33. (14 December 2016) Orlando Cruz e António Araujo da Silva desistem da corrida a Belém Observador. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
35. (21 December 2015) Castanheira Barros desiste da cirrida a Belém Correio da Manhã. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
36. (23 December 2015) Manuela Gonzaga desiste de candidatura à Presidência. “Não vale a pena inventar desculpas” Expresso. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
37. Presidenciais Nobre a caminho de Belém? "Sou um putativo candidato", Notícias ao Minuto, 14 February 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
38. (7 February 2015) "PS vira-se para Vitorino, mas não confirma desistência de Guterres", Publico. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
39. (9 January 2014) Pires de Lima: "Paulo Portas é um bom candidato a Presidente da República", Dinheiro Vivo. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
40. (19 February 2015) "Manuela Ferreira Leite não afasta candidatura a Belém" Público. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
41. António Guterres diz que não é candidato a ser candidato às presidenciais de 2016, Observador, 10 April 2015. Retrieved 08 August 2015.
42. Carvalho da Silva quebra silêncio e diz que não é candidato às presidenciais, Diário Económico, 08 May 2015. Retrieved 08 August 2015.
43. Santana Lopes anuncia que não é candidato a Belém, Expresso, 27 August 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
44. Rio desiste da candidatura a Belém , Expresso, 15 October 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
45. Jardim não se candidata a Belém e apoia Marcelo, SOL, 15 October 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
46. Undecided voters: 16.1
47. Undecided voters: 17.7
48. Rui Rio: 21.5
49. Rui Rio: 15.1
50. Only PSD and CDS–PP voters asked.
51. All voters asked.
52. Only PS, BE and CDU voters asked.
53. Maria de Belém e Sampaio da Nóvoa enfrentam-se a 9 de janeiro. Todas as datas dos debates presidenciais, Observador, 21 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
54. Maria de Belém suspende campanha e também não vai ao debate a 10 na RTP, Rádio Renascença, 19 January 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
55. Campaign Budgets for the 2016 Presidential election, Portuguese Constitutional Court, retrieved 20 January 2016.

External links

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