The names of the seven parties or coalitions on the ballot papers are written in capital letters. The party democratization movement fears that the “legitimacy of the electoral process” will be compromised.

The Constitutional Court (CC) registered seven parties or coalitions with capital letters, allowing them to appear with that spelling on the ballot for Sunday’s legislative elections. This is the case with the Democratic Alliance (AD), Chega, PAN, Livre, National Democratic Alternative (ADN), New Direita and Alternative 21.

According to the representative of the National Electoral Commission, Fernando Anastasio, quoted by the newspaper Public“It is the TC’s responsibility to verify the abbreviations and names of political parties to be used on the ballot papers, as decided by the above-mentioned court.”

The latest parties and coalitions formed for Sunday’s legislative elections have written their names in capital letters. From the perspective of the Movement for the Democratization of Parties, this difference could “jeopardize the legitimacy of the electoral process, undermine trust in institutions and harm democratic representation.”

In its statement, the movement also expressed concern about the “adoption of two identical acronyms” AD and ADN. “This can be confusing for voters, especially those unfamiliar with the parties. (…) In the case of two similar abbreviations, the CNE must give priority to the abbreviation that was registered first: in this case ADN,” he noted.