Portugal opens presidential polls

LISBON - Portuguese presidential election voting began on Sunday, with over 11 million registered voters expected to cast ballots and choose a successor from a record field of 11 candidates.

The polling hours are from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm local time (0800-1900 GMT), and the main results are expected to be announced later the same day.

According to recent polls, Andre Ventura, leader of the far-right party Chega, currently holds an advantage. Other major candidates include Antonio Jose Seguro of the center-left Socialist Party, Joao Cotrim de Figueiredo of the Liberal Initiative, and Luis Marques Mendes of the center-right Social Democratic Party.

Under the Portuguese Constitution, the president is elected by direct popular vote, with a candidate required to secure more than 50 percent of valid votes in the first round to win.

According to multiple local media outlets, this time the race is widely expected to proceed to a second round. If so, it will mark the first presidential election in 40 years to require a runoff vote between the two leading contenders.

The runoff is held roughly two weeks after the first round, with the winner determined by a simple majority.