- Title: Portuguese cast their votes minutes before polls close
- Date: 6th October 2019
- Summary: LISBON, PORTUGAL (OCTOBER 6, 2019) (REUTERS) PEOPLE QUEUING TO CAST THEIR VOTES AT POLLING STATION WOMAN CASTING HER VOTE PEOPLE QUEUING TO CAST THEIR VOTES WOMAN HANDLING HER IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENT TO AN ELECTION OFFICIAL MAN CASTING HIS VOTE PEOPLE QUEUING TO CAST THEIR VOTES
- Embargoed: 20th October 2019 19:21
- Keywords: Portugal elections polls elections Lisbon polling station
- Location: LISBON, PORTUGAL
- City: LISBON, PORTUGAL
- Country: Portugal
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZYJXVR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Last-minute voters queued at a polling station in Lisbon on Sunday (October 6) to cast their votes, minutes before the polls closed.
Portugal voted in an election that is likely to hand victory to Prime Minister Antonio Costa's Socialists but without an outright majority, leaving the fate of potential allies as the main question.
Costa's prospects were seen as being helped by the economy, which is growing more than the EU average, helped by export growth and a booming tourism industry that last year saw more tourists visiting Portugal than it has inhabitants.
Opinion polls indicated his Socialist party would come top with between 36.5% and 38.8% of the vote but would need one or more parties to back them to stay in government.
Costa's minority government has been backed by two far-left parties since 2015.
Voting closed at 7 p.m. (1800 GMT) in mainland Portugal.
Exit polls are expected an hour later and official results will trickle in through the evening.
Depending on how close the outcome is, a clear picture could emerge quickly or take days or even weeks.
(Production: Marco Trujillo, Silvio Castellanos) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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