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A sondagem indica que dois por cento dos votos são nulos.

A sondagem indica que dois por cento dos votos são nulos.
The poll indicates that two percent of the votes are null.
From Lesson 428:Subject-verb agreement with percentages·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about A sondagem indica que dois por cento dos votos são nulos.

Why is the verb são plural here? Does it agree with dois por cento or dos votos?
It agrees with the plural noun votos. In Portuguese, when a percentage is followed by a noun phrase (like dos votos), the verb normally agrees with that noun. In this specific case, because dois is also plural, the verb would be plural either way!
What if the sentence was about 'one percent of the votes'? Would the verb be singular?
No, it would still be plural: um por cento dos votos são nulos. Even though um is singular, the general rule is that the verb prioritizes agreeing with the plural noun (votos) that comes right after the percentage.
How would the verb agreement work if we dropped dos votos and just said 'the poll indicates two percent are null'?
The verb would still be plural: a sondagem indica que dois por cento são nulos. When a percentage stands completely alone without a noun, the verb agrees directly with the number in the percentage. Since dois is more than one, the verb takes the plural form.
Could I use the word pesquisa instead of sondagem for a political poll?
In European Portuguese, sondagem is the most natural and standard word for an opinion poll or voting survey. Pesquisa translates more closely to 'research' or 'search' in Portugal, although in Brazilian Portuguese it is commonly used for polls.

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