1945 Portuguese National Assembly election
18 November 1945
120 seats to the National Assembly
61 seats needed for a majority
  First party
 
Oliveira Salazar, retratado por San Payo (Arquivo Municipal de Lisboa, MNV001514).png
Leader António de Oliveira Salazar
Party UN
Last election 100 seats
Seats won 120
Seat change Increase 20
Popular vote 489,133
Percentage 100.0%
Swing Steady
Prime Minister before election

António de Oliveira Salazar
UN

 Prime Minister after election

António de Oliveira Salazar
UN

Parliamentary elections were held in Portugal on 18 November 1945.[1] Following reforms introduced by António de Oliveira Salazar, they were the first elections in the Estado Novo to allow opposition parties. The Movement of Democratic Unity was formed by opposition activists, but alongside all opposition candidates,[2] they withdrew from the election before polling day, alleging electoral fraud.[3] As a result, only candidates of the National Union contested the election.[4]

Electoral system

Prior to the elections, the electoral system underwent significant reform. The single 100-member national constituency was replaced by 21 multi-member constituencies and one single-member constituency covering the Azores, together electing a total of 120 members, 13 of which were from Portuguese colonies.[5]

Voters could now delete names from the lists of candidates, but could not replace them.[5] Suffrage was given to all men aged 21 or over as long as they were literate or paid over 100 escudos in taxation, and to women aged over 21 if they had completed secondary education, or, in an extension to the rules, if they were the head of a household and met the same literacy and tax criteria as men.[5]

Results

Party Votes % Seats
National Union120
Invalid/blank votes––
Total489,133100120
Registered voters/turnout909,45653.8–
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

References

  1. ↑ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1542 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. ↑ Raby DL (1991) Fascism and resistance in Portugal: communists, liberals and military dissidents in the opposition to Salazar, 1941-1974 Manchester University Press, p25
  3. ↑ The New State Country Studies
  4. ↑ "Portugal at the Polls" The Times, 20 November 1945, p5, Issue 50304
  5. 1 2 3 Nohlen & Stöver, p1535

See also

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