"It is a final last appeal for people who registered for early voting to do so", insisted João Cotrim de Figueiredo in front of the Faro City Council, after these statements to journalists were initially scheduled to take place at a polling station in that location.

However, due to a complaint to the National Elections Commission (CNE) for "electoral propaganda", the IL changed the location of this campaign action.

For those who are unable to vote today, the first on the IL list recalled that they can do so next Sunday at any point in the country.

"Therefore, let there be no excuses for not voting", he stressed.

Cotrim de Figueiredo, who this afternoon will be joined in the campaign by the party's president, Rui Rocha, welcomed the number of registrations for early voting registered for the European elections of 09 June.

"There is a great interest in people voting early and, normally, of those who register, between 90 and 95% vote, and we want to ensure that today we will go at least to 95% or more", he assumed.

Cotrim de Figueiredo stressed that he did not want to be discussing on 09 June "for two or three hours" the percentage of abstention.

And he specified: "We do not want anyone to use record abstention as a way of taking away legitimacy from the votes and mandates that will be attributed with this election".

Therefore, he understood, the more people vote "the more strength and legitimacy the mandates that are attributed will have".

In addition to telling people that "it is worth voting", the candidate for MEP defended that the day of reflection should be reviewed.

"It is something that may eventually need to be reviewed. I don't know, we ourselves in the IL have already defended several times that the day of reflection should end", he stressed.

Asked if he is ready to assume the goal of electing two MEPs, João Cotrim de Figueiredo was peremptory: "I am not ready to do that yet".

More than 252,000 Portuguese voters can vote early today for the European elections.

According to the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI), 252,209 voters registered to vote in mobility for the European elections, a number more than 20% higher than the 208,007 who opted for early voting in the last legislative elections, on 10 March.

The early voting in mobility was instituted with the entry into force of Organic Law no. 3/218, on the occasion of the election of Portuguese deputies to the European Parliament in 2019.

In Portugal, 17 parties and coalitions are running in the European elections: AD, PS, Chega, IL, BE, CDU, Livre, PAN, ADN, MAS, Ergue-te, Nova Direita, Volt Portugal, RIR, Nós Cidadãos, MPT and PTP.

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