Assembly of the Republic (Parliament)

Parliament has 230 deputies. They are elected in 22 constituencies: the 18 mainland districts, the Azores, Madeira, Europe and the rest of the world. Seats are allocated with the D'Hondt method, which is proportional to the votes in each constituency.

Each legislature has 4 legislative sessions. Each session lasts one year and starts on 15 September. The current legislature is the 17th and the Speaker is José Pedro Aguiar-Branco.

Most votes are decided by simple majority: the option with more votes wins, and abstentions do not count. Some decisions need larger majorities, counted over the 230 deputies in office or over the deputies present.

An organic law, such as the electoral law or the nationality law, needs an absolute majority of deputies in office in the final vote. A constitutional revision needs two thirds of deputies in office.

An initiative enters Parliament, is debated and voted in general, examined article by article in a committee and voted again in the final global vote. It then goes to the President and, if signed, is published in the official journal (Diário da República).

The Parlamento section (in Portuguese) shows each initiative, its status and the votes of each party.