This paper presents the main findings of a study into the role of the Portuguese Legion during election periods under the Estado Novo, from its foundation in the 1930s until the fall of the regime in 1974. We analyse how this paramilitary organisation actively participated in political surveillance during election campaigns, identifying and reporting on the activities of anti-Salazar opposition groups. We also examine its role in propaganda and mobilisation, both among supporters of the regime and from broader sections of the population, encouraging controlled electoral participation. Finally, we examine the Legion’s direct involvement in overseeing voting procedures at polling stations. The research is based on a robust set of empirical data drawn from the archives of the Portuguese Legion, held at the Torre do Tombo and as yet largely unexplored. The findings raise questions about the effectiveness, limitations and ambiguities of this prolonged intervention in the electoral process of the authoritarian regime.

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