First year

Voting from Abroad: The International IDEA Handbook, page 83

Portugal hasheld free elections since the fall of the dictatorship in 1974, and since that time the voting rights of Portuguese citizens living abroad have been substantially expanded. External voting rights were granted from the outset, but only for elections to the national parliament. (…) Decree-Law no.95-C/76 of 30 January 1976 sets out the procedural aspects of external voting in legislative elections. In these elections (…) the external voting right is exercised by post.

For elections to the national parliament and the European Parliament (from 1987 to 2004), the Ministry of Internal Administration in Portugal sends a ballot paper with two envelopes to all citizens registered in electoral registers abroad around two to three weeks before polling day. The voter fills in his or her ballot paper, folds it and inserts it in one of the envelopes which he or she then seals and places in the other envelope together with a photocopy of his or her elector’s card. All must be sent back to the designated reception point in Portugal and can be posted up until (and including) the day of the election. Ten days following the election, the external ballot papers are opened and counted. In legislative elections, the four parliamentary seats reserved for external voters are then allocated. In European Parliament elections, the external votes are added to the internalnational totals (Decree-Law no. 95C/76).

"The first time Portuguese expatriated citizens were allowed to vote from abroad was in April 25, 1975, in the Constitutive Assembly election that selected the delegates that would write the new democratic constitution after the Carnation Revolution of April 25, 1974, which toppled the Estado Novo regime. External voting for legislative elections was written into that constitution, which was ratified on April 25, 1976. The first time that Portuguese expats exercised their external voting rights on legislative elections was that same day, April 25, 1976." Source: User input from online platform