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Abstract
This paper aims at exploring the relationship between religiosity and electoral preferences in Portugal and
Spain. More precisely, the capacity of religiosity (measured as attendance to religious services) to influence the
probability of voting among the large national parties in both countries is examined. Previous work on the
Spanish case has showed that this relationship has gained new ground in recent times: while the years following
the consolidation of democracy were marked by the weakening of the religious cleavage, more recent general
elections have coincided with the resurrection of what we have labelled as religious voting. In spite of the
common Catholic denomination, the situation in Portugal is different. Religious landscapes in Portugal and
Spain display important differences. These hold notwithstanding the imprints of the secularisation process,
which in both countries has resulted in weaker religious feelings and lower church attendance rates. Contrary to
our expectations, the results of a multivariate analysis of electoral surveys on Portugal and Spain point at a
diverting pattern of relationship between religiosity and voting: whereas religiosity does not seem to be
influencing the vote in Portugal, it is confirming at a powerful factor to explain electoral decisions in Spain.