There are 160,508 members eligible to choose between Rui Costa and João Noronha Lopes in the second round of Benfica’s elections, 326 more than in the first round.
In the first round, the current president obtained 42.13% of the votes, followed by the manager (30.26%), in a race of six, also with Luís Filipe Vieira (13.86%), João Diogo Manteigas (11.48%). Martim Mayer (2.10%) and Cristóvão Carvalho (0.18%).
Benfica’s General Assembly Board (MAG) announced this week that it will maintain contact with the two candidacies, in order to promote active collaboration in improving the aforementioned conditions, with the aim of achieving “a record vote, again, exceeding the participation of 100 thousand members”, that is, around 15 thousand more voters than those verified in the first vote.
If in the first round the results took 19 hours to be known, this time it is estimated that they will be announced in the early hours of the morning (5 am) on Sunday.
“Despite the overall success” of the previous vote, “situations were detected that must be corrected, implementing new processes”, informed the organization led by José Pereira da Costa. Thus, the second round will have an additional 72 voting booths, corresponding to 144 voting points, in addition to “improvements” being implemented in 44 polling stations.
“We will have, in total of 108 sections, 576 voting booths, 301 check-ins and 472 ballot boxes”, can be read in the statement from MAG do Benfica, adding that “priority access will be improved in all sections, particularly at Estádio da Luz, ensuring special care when accessing the pavilions”.