At stake in this election:

• 230 seats in the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Anibal CAVACO SILVA
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Jose SOCRATES
• Assembly: Portugal has a unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica) with 230 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 5-year term.
• Prime Minister is appointed to serve a 4-year term.
• In the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica) 230 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms.***

*** There are 22 multi-member districts. Seats are allocated using the d'Hondt method.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Socialist Party / Partido Socialista (PS)
  • Leader: Jose SOCRATES
  • Seats won in this election: 97
  • Seats won in last election: 121
• Party: Social Democratic Party / Partido Social Democrata (PPD/PSD)
  • Leader: Manuel FERREIRA LEITE
  • Seats won in this election: 81
  • Seats won in last election: 74
• Alliance: United Democratic Coalition / (PCP/PEV)***
  • Leader: Jeronimo de SOUSA
  • Seats won in this election: 15
  • Seats won in last election: 14
• Party: Popular Party / Partido Popular (CDS-PP)
  • Leader: Paulo PORTAS
  • Seats won in this election: 21
  • Seats won in last election: 12
• Party: Left Bloc / Bloco de Esquerda (B.E.)
  • Leader: Franciso LOUCA
  • Seats won in this election: 16
  • Seats won in last election: 8

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 10,568,247 (2009)
• Registered Voters: 9,519,921 (2009)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 5,498,119 (2009)

·         Is Portugal a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (24 April 1980)

·         Has Portugal ratified CEDAW: Yes (30 July 1980)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 64 (following the 2009 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 43 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Portugal a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Portugal ratified CRPD: Yes (23 September 2009)

·         Population with a disability: 1,585,237 (est.)