European and legislative elections in 2019 were the first elections with early voting, but this year the voting was extended from the district capitals to the headquarters of the councils and the objective is simple: to avoid large concentrations of people due to the epidemic of 19 in the country.

In practice, the vote is spread over two days, although the overwhelming majority will vote on January 24. Anyone who signed up to vote in advance and cannot do so maintains the possibility of exercising his civic duty on the 24th.

Thus, whoever asked to anticipate the vote, will have places to vote in each of the headquarters of the 308 municipalities, on the continent and on the islands.

There will be 600 polling stations, involving around 2.500 people, on the continent and in the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira, while for those displaced abroad, 117 polling stations are planned at the consulates, for a total of 585 members.

This was the estimate made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, before the early voting period began, which ended on Friday, when 246.880 voters asked to vote a week earlier. This number still needs to include requests made by letter to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The large number of voters has already led, for example, the Viana do Castelo City Council to change the vote to a pavilion and install three polling stations.

The electoral administration guarantees sanitary and hygienic conditions for voters to vote, both on Sunday and on January 24, by placing alcohol gel in the polling places.

To exercise their civic right, voters are required to wear a mask and disinfect their hands before and after voting, and each person is advised to bring their own ballpoint or pen.