{"id":62046,"date":"2026-01-22T11:59:05","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T11:59:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.learnportuguesewithsusana.com\/lpws\/?p=62046"},"modified":"2026-01-22T11:59:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T11:59:05","slug":"presidential-elections-2026-in-portugal-why-did-so-many-people-not-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learnportuguesewithsusana.com\/lpws\/presidential-elections-2026-in-portugal-why-did-so-many-people-not-vote\/","title":{"rendered":"Presidential Elections 2026 in Portugal: Why Did So Many People Not Vote?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fonte: https:\/\/www.rtp.pt\/eleicoes\/presidenciais-resultados\/2026\/totais-globais\/99<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n


\nClick to read in Portuguese<\/span>
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

Presidential Elections 2026 in Portugal: Why Did So Many People Not Vote?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

The 2026 presidential elections in Portugal have already taken place, but we still do not know who will be President<\/strong>, because there will be a second round between the two candidates with the most votes.<\/span><\/p>\n

In my opinion, the most interesting thing is not just who will win<\/strong>, but the large number of people who did not vote<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Do Many People Not Vote?<\/span><\/h5>\n

In Portugal, the President of the Republic does not directly govern the country<\/strong>. For this reason, many people think:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy vote will not change my life very much.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When the candidates seem distant from everyday life, or when the race is not very intense, many people stay at home<\/strong>. This has actually been happening for decades.<\/span><\/p>\n

Abstention in Portugal: An Old Phenomenon<\/span><\/h5>\n

As studies by Jo\u00e3o Cancela and Jos\u00e9 Santana Pereira show, abstention is not random nor a recent problem<\/strong>. Since the beginning of democracy after 1974, fewer people vote<\/strong>, especially in presidential and European elections.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even when we remove from the calculation people who no longer live in the country, abstention remains high<\/strong>. In other words, many Portuguese people are indeed distant from politics<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who Abstains?<\/span><\/h5>\n

There is no single type of non-voter. There are people who: <\/span>Always vote; <\/span>Vote only in some elections; and <\/span>Rarely vote.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But, according to Cancela and Santana Pereira, those who do not vote usually feel little connection to politics<\/strong>. Abstention is more common among: <\/span>Young people,\u00a0<\/span>People with lower education, <\/span>Those who feel disappointed with politicians<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And this does not mean they do not care about the country<\/strong>. Often, it is a silent form of protest<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Role of Civic Duty<\/span><\/h5>\n

An important point is that the factor that most explains who votes is civic duty<\/strong>. People who feel that voting is a responsibility<\/strong> participate, even when: <\/span>They do not like the candidates, <\/span>The polling place is far away, <\/span>The day is inconvenient.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, those who do not feel this duty give up more easily<\/strong>. There is also a generational difference: older people tend to vote more, while younger people question whether their vote really matters.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Does Abstention Matter?<\/span><\/h5>\n

Abstention is not just a number<\/strong>. It has real effects on democracy: <\/span>Politicians feel less pressure to keep promises,\u00a0<\/span>Political decisions mostly reflect the opinions of regular voters, <\/span>Democracy\u2019s legitimacy is weaker when many people do not participate.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

My Reflection on the 2026 Presidential Elections<\/span><\/h5>\n

For me, the 2026 elections show something very clear: democracy needs to connect more with people<\/strong>. Abstention is not empty silence. It is a message of discontent, disappointment, or emotional distance from politics<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

If we want a stronger democracy, we need to listen to this message<\/strong> and think of ways to make voting more meaningful for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source (Book): Cancela, J., Pereira, J. (2025) Compreender a absten\u00e7\u00e3o eleitoral em Portugal. <\/strong><\/em>Funda\u00e7\u00e3o Francisco Manuel dos Santos.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>Elei\u00e7\u00f5es Presidenciais 2026 em Portugal: Por Que Tanta Gente N\u00e3o Foi Votar?<\/span><\/h4>\n

As elei\u00e7\u00f5es presidenciais de 2026 em Portugal j\u00e1 aconteceram, mas n\u00e3o sabemos ainda quem vai ser o Presidente<\/strong>\u00a0porque haver\u00e1 uma segunda volta entre os dois candidatos mais votados.<\/span><\/p>\n

Na minha opini\u00e3o, o mais interessante n\u00e3o \u00e9 apenas quem ganhar\u00e1<\/strong>, mas sim a grande quantidade de pessoas que n\u00e3o foram votar<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Por que muitas pessoas n\u00e3o votam?<\/span><\/h5>\n

Em Portugal, o Presidente da Rep\u00fablica n\u00e3o governa diretamente o pa\u00eds<\/strong>. Por isso, muitas pessoas pensam:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cO meu voto n\u00e3o vai mudar muito a minha vida.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Quando os candidatos parecem distantes do dia a dia ou quando n\u00e3o h\u00e1 uma disputa muito intensa, muitas pessoas ficam em casa<\/strong>. Isto acontece, ali\u00e1s, h\u00e1 d\u00e9cadas.<\/span><\/p>\n

A absten\u00e7\u00e3o em Portugal: um fen\u00f3meno antigo<\/span><\/h5>\n

Como mostram os estudos de Jo\u00e3o Cancela e Jos\u00e9 Santana Pereira, a absten\u00e7\u00e3o n\u00e3o \u00e9 um acaso nem um problema recente<\/strong>. Desde o in\u00edcio da democracia, depois de 1974, menos pessoas v\u00e3o votar<\/strong>, especialmente em elei\u00e7\u00f5es presidenciais e europeias.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mesmo quando se retiram do c\u00e1lculo pessoas que j\u00e1 n\u00e3o vivem no pa\u00eds, a absten\u00e7\u00e3o continua elevada<\/strong>. Ou seja, muitos portugueses est\u00e3o, de facto, distantes da pol\u00edtica<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Quem se abst\u00e9m?<\/span><\/h5>\n

N\u00e3o existe um tipo \u00fanico de abstencionista. H\u00e1 pessoas que: – Votam sempre, – Votam s\u00f3 em algumas elei\u00e7\u00f5es, e – Raramente votam.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mas, segundo Cancela e Santana Pereira, quem n\u00e3o vota normalmente sente pouca liga\u00e7\u00e3o \u00e0 pol\u00edtica<\/strong>. A absten\u00e7\u00e3o \u00e9 mais frequente entre: Pessoas jovens, Pessoas com menos escolaridade e Quem se sente desiludido com os pol\u00edticos.<\/span><\/p>\n

E isto n\u00e3o significa que n\u00e3o se importem com o pa\u00eds<\/strong>. Muitas vezes, \u00e9 uma forma silenciosa de protesto.<\/span><\/p>\n

O papel do dever c\u00edvico<\/span><\/h5>\n

Um ponto importante \u00e9 que o fator que mais explica quem vota \u00e9 o dever c\u00edvico<\/strong>. Quem sente que votar \u00e9 uma responsabilidade<\/strong> participa, mesmo quando: – N\u00e3o gosta dos candidatos, – O local de voto \u00e9 longe, e – O dia \u00e9 inconveniente.<\/span><\/p>\n

Por outro lado, quem n\u00e3o sente este dever desiste mais facilmente<\/strong>. Tamb\u00e9m se nota uma diferen\u00e7a geracional: pessoas mais velhas tendem a votar mais, enquanto jovens questionam se o voto faz diferen\u00e7a.<\/span><\/p>\n

Por que a absten\u00e7\u00e3o preocupa?<\/span><\/h5>\n

A absten\u00e7\u00e3o n\u00e3o \u00e9 apenas um n\u00famero<\/strong>. Tem efeitos reais na democracia: – Os pol\u00edticos sentem menos press\u00e3o para cumprir promessas; – As decis\u00f5es pol\u00edticas refletem sobretudo quem vota regularmente; – A legitimidade da democracia fica mais fraca quando muitos n\u00e3o participam.<\/span><\/p>\n

A minha reflex\u00e3o sobre as presidenciais de 2026<\/span><\/h5>\n

Para mim, as elei\u00e7\u00f5es de 2026 mostram algo muito claro: a democracia precisa de se aproximar das pessoas<\/strong>. A absten\u00e7\u00e3o n\u00e3o \u00e9 sil\u00eancio vazio. \u00c9 uma mensagem<\/strong> de descontentamento, de desilus\u00e3o ou de dist\u00e2ncia emocional em rela\u00e7\u00e3o \u00e0 pol\u00edtica. Se quisermos uma democracia mais forte, precisamos ouvir essa mensagem<\/strong> e pensar em formas de tornar o voto mais significativo para todos.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fonte (Livro): Cancela, J., Pereira, J. (2025) Compreender a absten\u00e7\u00e3o eleitoral em Portugal. <\/strong><\/em>Funda\u00e7\u00e3o Francisco Manuel dos Santos.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fonte: https:\/\/www.rtp.pt\/eleicoes\/presidenciais-resultados\/2026\/totais-globais\/99 Click to read in Portuguese Presidential Elections 2026 in Portugal: Why Did So Many People Not Vote? The 2026 presidential elections in Portugal have already taken place, but we still do not know who will be President, because there will be a second round between the two candidates with the most votes. In my opinion, the most interesting thing is not just who will win, but the large number of people who did not vote. Why Do Many People Not Vote? In Portugal, the President of the Republic does not directly govern the country. For this reason, many people think: \u201cMy vote will not change my life very much.\u201d When the candidates seem distant from everyday life, or when the race is not very intense, many people stay at home. This has actually been happening for decades. Abstention in Portugal: An Old Phenomenon As studies by Jo\u00e3o Cancela and Jos\u00e9 Santana Pereira show, abstention is not random nor a recent problem. Since the beginning of democracy after 1974, fewer people vote, especially in presidential and European elections. Even when we remove from the calculation people who no longer live in the country, abstention remains high. In other words, many Portuguese people are indeed distant from politics. Who Abstains? There is no single type of non-voter. There are people who: Always vote; Vote only in some elections; and Rarely vote. But, according to Cancela and Santana Pereira, those who do not vote usually feel little connection to politics. Abstention is more common among: Young people,\u00a0People with lower education, Those who feel disappointed with politicians And this does not mean they do not care about the country. Often, it is a silent form of protest. The Role of Civic Duty An important point is that the factor that most explains who votes is civic duty. People who feel that voting is a responsibility participate, even when: They do not like the candidates, The polling place is far away, The day is inconvenient. On the other hand, those who do not feel this duty give up more easily. There is also a generational difference: older people tend to vote more, while younger people question whether their vote really matters. Why Does Abstention Matter? Abstention is not just a number. It has real effects on democracy: Politicians feel less pressure to keep promises,\u00a0Political decisions mostly reflect the opinions of regular voters, Democracy\u2019s legitimacy is weaker when many people do not participate. My Reflection on the 2026 Presidential Elections For me, the 2026 elections show something very clear: democracy needs to connect more with people. Abstention is not empty silence. It is a message of discontent, disappointment, or emotional distance from politics. If we want a stronger democracy, we need to listen to this message and think of ways to make voting more meaningful for everyone. Source (Book): Cancela, J., Pereira, J. (2025) Compreender a absten\u00e7\u00e3o eleitoral em Portugal. Funda\u00e7\u00e3o Francisco Manuel dos Santos.   Elei\u00e7\u00f5es Presidenciais 2026 em Portugal: Por Que Tanta Gente N\u00e3o Foi Votar? As elei\u00e7\u00f5es presidenciais de 2026 em Portugal j\u00e1 aconteceram, mas n\u00e3o sabemos ainda quem vai ser o Presidente\u00a0porque haver\u00e1 uma segunda volta entre os dois candidatos mais votados. Na minha opini\u00e3o, o mais interessante n\u00e3o \u00e9 apenas quem ganhar\u00e1, mas sim a grande quantidade de pessoas que n\u00e3o foram votar. Por que muitas pessoas n\u00e3o votam? Em Portugal, o Presidente da Rep\u00fablica n\u00e3o governa diretamente o pa\u00eds. Por isso, muitas pessoas pensam: \u201cO meu voto n\u00e3o vai mudar muito a minha vida.\u201d Quando os candidatos parecem distantes do dia a dia ou quando n\u00e3o h\u00e1 uma disputa muito intensa, muitas pessoas ficam em casa. Isto acontece, ali\u00e1s, h\u00e1 d\u00e9cadas. A absten\u00e7\u00e3o em Portugal: um fen\u00f3meno antigo Como mostram os estudos de Jo\u00e3o Cancela e Jos\u00e9 Santana Pereira, a absten\u00e7\u00e3o n\u00e3o \u00e9 um acaso nem um problema recente. Desde o in\u00edcio da democracia, depois de 1974, menos pessoas v\u00e3o votar, especialmente em elei\u00e7\u00f5es presidenciais e europeias. Mesmo quando se retiram do c\u00e1lculo pessoas que j\u00e1 n\u00e3o vivem no pa\u00eds, a absten\u00e7\u00e3o continua elevada. Ou seja, muitos portugueses est\u00e3o, de facto, distantes da pol\u00edtica. Quem se abst\u00e9m? N\u00e3o existe um tipo \u00fanico de abstencionista. H\u00e1 pessoas que: – Votam sempre, – Votam s\u00f3 em algumas elei\u00e7\u00f5es, e – Raramente votam. Mas, segundo Cancela e Santana Pereira, quem n\u00e3o vota normalmente sente pouca liga\u00e7\u00e3o \u00e0 pol\u00edtica. A absten\u00e7\u00e3o \u00e9 mais frequente entre: Pessoas jovens, Pessoas com menos escolaridade e Quem se sente desiludido com os pol\u00edticos. E isto n\u00e3o significa que n\u00e3o se importem com o pa\u00eds. Muitas vezes, \u00e9 uma forma silenciosa de protesto. O papel do dever c\u00edvico Um ponto importante \u00e9 que o fator que mais explica quem vota \u00e9 o dever c\u00edvico. Quem sente que votar \u00e9 uma responsabilidade participa, mesmo quando: – N\u00e3o gosta dos candidatos, – O local de voto \u00e9 longe, e – O dia \u00e9 inconveniente. Por outro lado, quem n\u00e3o sente este dever desiste mais facilmente. Tamb\u00e9m se nota uma diferen\u00e7a geracional: pessoas mais velhas tendem a votar mais, enquanto jovens questionam se o voto faz diferen\u00e7a. Por que a absten\u00e7\u00e3o preocupa? A absten\u00e7\u00e3o n\u00e3o \u00e9 apenas um n\u00famero. Tem efeitos reais na democracia: – Os pol\u00edticos sentem menos press\u00e3o para cumprir promessas; – As decis\u00f5es pol\u00edticas refletem sobretudo quem vota regularmente; – A legitimidade da democracia fica mais fraca quando muitos n\u00e3o participam. A minha reflex\u00e3o sobre as presidenciais de 2026 Para mim, as elei\u00e7\u00f5es de 2026 mostram algo muito claro: a democracia precisa de se aproximar das pessoas. A absten\u00e7\u00e3o n\u00e3o \u00e9 sil\u00eancio vazio. \u00c9 uma mensagem de descontentamento, de desilus\u00e3o ou de dist\u00e2ncia emocional em rela\u00e7\u00e3o \u00e0 pol\u00edtica. Se quisermos uma democracia mais forte, precisamos ouvir essa mensagem e pensar em formas de tornar o voto mais significativo para todos. Fonte (Livro): Cancela, J., Pereira, J. (2025) Compreender a absten\u00e7\u00e3o eleitoral em Portugal. Funda\u00e7\u00e3o Francisco Manuel dos Santos.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":62063,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnportuguesewithsusana.com\/lpws\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnportuguesewithsusana.com\/lpws\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnportuguesewithsusana.com\/lpws\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnportuguesewithsusana.com\/lpws\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnportuguesewithsusana.com\/lpws\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62046"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnportuguesewithsusana.com\/lpws\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62046\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62080,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnportuguesewithsusana.com\/lpws\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62046\/revisions\/62080"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnportuguesewithsusana.com\/lpws\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnportuguesewithsusana.com\/lpws\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnportuguesewithsusana.com\/lpws\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnportuguesewithsusana.com\/lpws\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}