Sintra Election Poll Shows Housing as Top Voter Concern Amid Tight Mayoral Race
A poll conducted by the Institute of Social Sciences (ICS) and ISCTE for news outlets SIC and Expresso indicates a close race for the mayoral position in Sintra, with housing access emerging as the most critical issue for the municipality's residents. The findings are released ahead of the local elections scheduled for October 12.
The survey reveals a statistical tie in direct voting intention between Ana Mendes Godinho, representing the Socialist Party (PS) and Livre, and Marco Almeida, leading a coalition of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Liberal Initiative (IL), and PAN. Both candidates registered 21% of support. Rita Matias of the Chega party follows closely with 19%.
The poll also noted a high level of uncertainty among the electorate, with 13% of respondents identifying as undecided and 19% stating they might abstain from voting. Other candidates, including Pedro Ventura (CDU) and Maurício Rodrigues (CDS-PP), polled at 2%.
When asked to rate local issues on a scale of zero to ten, residents gave the lowest score to 'access to housing,' which did not surpass three points. This identifies housing as the primary concern within the municipality. Other areas receiving negative evaluations included anti-corruption efforts, traffic management, and urban cleaning.
In contrast, issues such as public safety, cultural offerings, and transportation received slightly positive, though not exceptional, ratings from the respondents.
The opinion study also assessed voter perception of the candidates. Marco Almeida, who is running for mayor for the third time, was most frequently associated with qualities such as experience, competence, and leadership. The performance of the current mayor, Basílio Horta, was met with divided opinions from the populace.
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The poll's methodology, coordinated by ICS and ISCTE with fieldwork by GFK Metris, involved 803 valid interviews conducted between September 3 and September 14. The stated margin of error is 3.5% with a 95% confidence level.
The results of the poll suggest that the topic of housing will be a central point of debate and policy proposals from the candidates in the final weeks leading up to the election.
The distribution of undecided voters could play a decisive role in the final outcome. When pollsters projected a scenario allocating the undecided, Ana Mendes Godinho appeared with a slight two-point lead over Marco Almeida.
The election on October 12 will determine the new leadership for the Sintra Municipal Council, one of the largest and most populous municipalities in the Lisbon metropolitan area.
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