Portuguese in London travel hours to vote in person

Correio da Manhã/CMTV coverage finds unusually high motivation among emigrant voters this election, with TV crews following voting at Portuguese consulates and polling stations abroad. Higher turnout overseas could be consequential in a close race and may strain consular services on busy days. Those voting from abroad should check consulate arrangements and confirm their polling location and required ID well ahead of time.

Update: Reports from London show many Portuguese travelled up to around two hours to vote at the Consulate‑General, with voters complaining there is no remote voting option and describing long queues at peak times. Portuguese living abroad should confirm consular opening hours, travel arrangements and allow extra time if going in person.

Context & Explainers

Emigrant voting lets Portuguese citizens living abroad cast ballots in national elections, usually by mail or at consulates. With several hundred thousand registered overseas voters, their turnout and geographic distribution can be decisive in close presidential contests, so candidates often campaign to win votes in key emigrant communities.

A Consulate‑General (Consulado‑Geral) is Portugal’s main diplomatic office in a major foreign city that provides consular services like passports, civil registration, legal help and in-person voting for citizens abroad. For expats, the Consulate‑General is often the place you must travel to to vote in national elections and to register for consular services, so check its website for opening hours, location and voter-registration deadlines.

Remote voting means casting a ballot without being physically present at a polling station, using methods such as postal ballots, proxy voting or internet/telephone systems. In the current presidential vote context many Portuguese abroad had to travel to consulates because remote options weren’t available, so voters living overseas should check well before election day which methods (if any) apply to them and how to register.