STORY: Far-right leader Andre Ventura cast his vote in Sunday's (February 8) presidential election and argued it should have been postponed after the recent series of storms that hit the Iberian Peninsula.

A succession of storms in recent days brought heavy downpours and strong gales, forcing three municipal councils in southern and central Portugal to postpone voting by a week, affecting some 37,000 registered voters, or 0.3% of the total.

Portugal was voting to choose between leftist Antonio Jose Seguro and far-right contender Andre Ventura, with surveys pointing to a landslide win for Seguro.

Partial official results will still be released on Sunday night as usual, starting from 8 p.m. (2000 GMT).

Voters flocked to polling stations on Sunday as rain and wind eased, although numbers were smaller than in the first round, which saw 11 candidates attracting the highest voter participation in 15 years.

Roughly two-thirds of those surveyed say they would never vote for Ventura. However, the ballot is expected to further broaden his political clout, reflecting the rise of the far right across Europe.

His anti-establishment, anti-immigration Chega party became the second-largest parliamentary force in last year's general election, and now Ventura could come close to or even surpass the 31.2% of support won by the ruling center-right alliance in 2025, according to some projections.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: LISBON, PORTUGAL (FEBRUARY 8, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF FAR-RIGHT LEADER ANDRE VENTURA AT POLLING STATION GREETING OFFICIALS

2. OFFICIAL GIVING DOCUMENT TO VENTURA / VENTURA LEAVING TO VOTE ON BOOTH

3. OFFICIAL

4. VENTURA SHOWING HIS VOTE TO MEDIA / POSING AND CASTING HIS VOTE

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) FAR-RIGHT LEADER ANDRE VENTURA SAYING ON HAVING ELECTION DESPITE RECENT WEATHER STORMS:

"I think it was disrespectful because it turned some Portuguese people into first-class citizens and others into second-class citizens, and today, honestly, I think that in many parts of the country, perhaps not here where I am now, but perhaps in many areas and many parts of the country, people feel disrespected and feel like second-class Portuguese citizens."

6. WHITE FLASH

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) FAR-RIGHT LEADER ANDRE VENTURA SAYING:

“From the moment public authorities decided it was like this, we have to comply with what the public authorities say, and I hope that people will participate as much as they can so as not to leave the future in the hands of others. That's what I hope will happen today, because that's what we're doing these days: not leaving the future in the hands of others. Today is a very important day for our collective future, and I hope you will not leave this decision in the hands of others.”

8. VENTURA LEAVING AND GETTING IN CAR