With the campaign drawing to a close, the presidential candidate renewed his appeal for tactical voting, insisting that votes for Marques Mendes, Ventura and Gouveia e Melo will be 'useless'. He also warned of the risk of a second round between Ventura and Seguro, in which the Socialist would be guaranteed victory.
Cotrim ends 'without regrets' and challenges Mendes to support him in a second round
Friday, 16 January 2026RSS
Context & Explainers
Tactical voting (voto útil) means choosing a candidate or party other than your first preference in order to achieve a strategic outcome — for example, concentrating support to ensure a preferred candidate reaches a second-round runoff, or to prevent a disliked candidate from winning.
In Portugal, tactical voting is particularly relevant in presidential elections (where a two-round system is used) and in legislative elections (where proportional representation means small parties can lose votes to threshold effects in smaller districts).
Party leaders frequently urge tactical voting during campaigns, asking supporters of allied or similar parties to consolidate behind the strongest candidate to maximize seat counts or prevent rivals from gaining ground.
