By Andrea Hargraves 
The Social Democratic Party was, at 20:00, the political force with the largest number of votes in Sunday's regional elections in Madeira, with 45.69% of the vote and one MP, when provisional results were determined in 17 of the 54 parishes.
The Socialist Party came in second place in terms of number of votes with 23.83%, according to data from the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Administration – Elections Administration.
The resigned head of the government of the autonomous region of Madeira, social democrat Miguel de Albuquerque, was the first candidate to be elected to the Madeira parliament, according to preliminary results. Fourteen candidates are competing for 47 seats in the regional parliament, in one electoral district: ADN, BE, PS, Livre, IL, RIR, CDU (PCP/PEV), Chega, CDS-PP, MPT, PSD, PAN, PTP and G baby.
The early elections take place eight months after the last regional legislative elections, after the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, dissolved the Madeiran Parliament, following the political crisis that erupted in January, when the leader of the regional government (PSD/) was named CDS-PP. ), Miguel Albuquerque, as a defendant in an operation in which suspicions of corruption are investigated.
Polls closed at seven in the evening.