Shortly after the prime minister took to the stage at a rally in Batalha to call for votes for Marques Mendes — arguing that voting for Seguro or Cotrim de Figueiredo would not prevent 'two populist candidates' reaching the second round — the candidate backed by IL criticised the appeal for tactical voting in Lisbon and did not spare barbs at his opponents.
Cotrim replies to Montenegro and says Sá Carneiro's 'reformist spirit' and Passos's 'courage' are 'today in his candidacy'
Sunday, 4 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.
