2016 Portuguese presidential election
The 2016 Portuguese presidential election was held on 24 January. This election chose the successor to the President Aníbal Cavaco Silva, who was constitutionally not allowed to run for a third consecutive term. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the candidate supported by PPD/PSD, CDS-PP and PPM, won the election on the first round with 52% of the vote. Marcelo also won in every single district in the country and only lost a few municipalities in the south of the country. Turnout was higher than that of the 2011 election, but reached a record low in  a presidential election with no incumbents as only 48.66% of the electorate cast a ballot. Background and election procedure. Aníbal Cavaco Silva had served two consecutive five-year terms as president, the maximum number, and the 2016 election was to choose a successor for a term beginning on March 9. In Portugal, the president is the head of state, has mostly ceremonial powers. However, the president does have some political influence and can dissolve the Parliament of Portugal if a crisis occurs. The president also has an official residence in the Belém Palace in Lisbon. In order to stand for  election, candidates had to each gather 7,500 signatures of support one month before the election, and submit them to the Constitutional Court of Portugal. On December 29, 2015, the Constitutional Court certified ten candidates as having met the requirements to appear on the ballot. This was a record number; the highest number of presidential candidates had previously been six. Under Portuguese law, a candidate must receive a majority of votes (50% plus one vote) to be elected. If no candidate achieved a majority in the first round, a runoff election (i.e., second round, held between the two candidates who received  the most votes in the first round) would have been held on February 14. Portugal has about 9.7 million registered voters. Campaign period. Candidates' debates. There were several number of debates between all the candidates in the three TV networks RTP, SIC, TVI. There was a radio debate between all candidates plus on January 19, there was a final debate between all of candidates on RTP1. Completed televised debates: Results. !| Candidate !| Party !| First round !|Votes !|%