Voter preferences for or against female candidates in local elections? Experimental evidence from Portugal

This study examines how candidate gender influences voter choices alongside other candidate attributes and assesses whether the modest premium for women documented in comparative research also extends to Portugal. The analysis draws on a conjoint survey experiment simulating local elections, conducted with a nationally representative sample of over 1200 Portuguese voters. The results indicate no evidence of voter bias against female candidates and, under certain conditions, a slight preference for them. While initial analyses suggested somewhat higher support for female candidates among women voters, further tests revealed no statistically significant differences across voter subgroups. Overall, the findings suggest that female candidates are not electorally disadvantaged in Portugal, offering new insights into a less-studied Southern European context.