| Country: | Cape Verde |
| Type: | presidential |
| Previous Election: | 2011 Cape Verdean presidential election |
| Previous Year: | 2011 |
| Next Election: | 2021 Cape Verdean presidential election |
| Next Year: | 2021 |
| Election Date: | 2 October 2016 |
| Registered: | 361,221 |
| Turnout: | 35.47% |
| Image1: | Jorge Carlos Fonseca 2014.png |
| Nominee1: | Jorge Carlos Fonseca |
| Party1: | Movement for Democracy (Cape Verde) |
| Popular Vote1: | 93,010 |
| Percentage1: | 74.08% |
| Nominee2: | Albertino Graça |
| Party2: | Independent politician |
| Popular Vote2: | 28,256 |
| Percentage2: | 22.51% |
| President | |
| Before Election: | Jorge Carlos Fonseca |
| Before Party: | Movement for Democracy (Cape Verde) |
| After Election: | Jorge Carlos Fonseca |
| After Party: | Movement for Democracy (Cape Verde) |
Presidential elections were held in Cape Verde on 2 October 2016.[1] Incumbent President Jorge Carlos Fonseca of the Movement for Democracy (MpD) was re-elected with 74% of the vote.
The President of Cape Verde is elected using the two-round system.[2] [3]
Jorge Carlos Fonseca was looking to secure his second term and was the favourite to win as the main opposition party the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV) failed to present a candidate after their disappointing loss in the parliamentary elections in March and municipal elections in September. Fonseca, representing the MpD, faced two independent candidates, Joaquim Monteiro and Albertino Graça.[4]
Campaigning was temporarily suspended on 22 September following the death of the country's ex-president António Mascarenhas Monteiro.[5] Monteiro was the country's first democratically elected president and was also a member of the MpD. All public events and rallies were suspended for 4 days until 26 September.[6]