Today’s regional parliamentary elections in Madeira, until 12:00, registered a turnout of 20.98%, similar to that of 2019 at the same time, according to data from the General Secretariat of the Ministry of the Interior.

At the same time, in the previous elections, in 2019, the voter turnout was 20.97%, while in 2015 the participation rate was 17.21%.

Abstention eventually reached 44.5% in 2019 and 50.42% in 2015, breaking the record that year since 1976, when the first elections to the Legislative Assembly of Madeira were held.

More than 253,000 voters have today been called to vote in Madeira’s regional legislature to elect the new composition of the archipelago’s parliament. 13 candidacies are being voted on, and the party leaders who have already voted on this day have left calls for citizen participation.

“Very important day,” says PS

The leader of PS/Madeira and head of the party’s candidacy list, Sérgio Gonçalves, appealed to the people of Madeira to vote in the regional legislature, emphasizing that this electoral act is the “maximum expression of autonomy” .

“Today is a very important day for the future of Madeira, it is also the maximum expression of our autonomy. That is why I especially appeal to the people of Madeira who are going to vote, to decide their future and to vote with conscience.” he said.

Sérgio Gonçalves spoke to journalists after voting at a polling station in the parish of Santa Luzia, located at the Escola Secundária Francisco Franco, in the center of Funchal, where he waited in line for about ten minutes.

The leader of the largest regional opposition party said he hopes that “the elections will take place normally, with respect for democratic principles and values, and that the people of Madeira will become aware and free and come out to vote.”

“It is in fact the most important day, the day to choose the composition of our main self-governing body – the Regional Legislative Assembly – and it is the maximum expression of our autonomy,” he declared, then strengthened his position. : “It is very important that all the people of Madeira participate in this electoral act, decide their future and that is why I repeat the call for you to come and vote.”

“We are the guardians of democracy,” CDS recalls

The leader of the CDS-PP/Madeira and number two of the Somos Madeira coalition, which unites Social Democrats and Christian Democrats, issued a “vivid appeal” to Madeira residents to vote in the region’s legislature , emphasizing that this is everyone’s responsibility.

“I strongly appeal to people to come and vote and decide the future of Madeira and Porto Santo,” Rui Barreto said after voting at polling station 15 of Escola Básica da Ajuda in Funchal.

Rui Barreto, second on the list led by the President of the PSD/Madeira and leader of the regional government, Miguel Albuquerque, stressed that voting “is the responsibility of the entire population” and recalled that there is “the struggle of many for was necessary to get the vote in democracy”.

“We are the guardians of democracy and we have the opportunity to exercise our options freely and conscientiously,” he emphasized, as “it is a good day to vote.”

“Nothing will remain the same,” PCP believes

The coordinator of the PCP/Madeira and head of the CDU (PCP/PEV) list, Edgar Silva, called for the participation of the people of Madeira in the parliamentary elections, stressing that “certainly nothing will remain the same when voting.”

“There are many people who would ultimately like to vote and who would like to vote so that everything remains the same, but there is a vote that does not leave everything the same, that sets it in motion, that generates movement, and therefore nothing. can remain the same.”, he claimed.

Edgar Silva spoke to journalists after voting at a polling station in the parish of Santa Luzia, located at the Escola Secundária Francisco Franco, in the center of Funchal.

“It is in this sense of change, of transformation, of a better life that today we exercise the right to vote and make this call for participation,” he declared.