Elections in Brazil

Latest election

Main article: 2022 Brazilian general election

Presidential election

Parliamentary election

Chamber of Deputies

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Federal Senate

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Schedule

Election

Inauguration

Electoral systems

Main article: Electoral system of Brazil

A presidential candidate in Brazil needs to gain fifty per cent plus one of votes to be named as winner. A second-round runoff is mandated if no candidate receives fifty per cent plus one of votes.

Deputies are elected to the Chamber of Deputies using a form of party-list proportional representation known as the open list. Seats are distributed in 27 multi-member constituencies based on the Federation Units (26 States and the Federal District), ranging from 8 to 70 seats. Seats are allocated through the D'Hondt method.

Senators are elected to the Federal Senate with a plurality of the vote in a first-past-the-post system, which is not proportional. Three senators are elected for each state and for the Federal District.

In lower levels of government, the state legislative assemblies and city councils are elected using an open list proportional representation system. Seats are allocated using a version of the D'Hondt method where only parties who receive at least V/n votes (where V is the total number of votes cast and n is the total number of seats to be filled) may win seats in the legislature.

Voting in Brazil is compulsory for all literate citizens over 18 and under 70, and optional for citizens who are aged 16 and 17, older than 70 or illiterate. Brazil introduced compulsory voting into its Electoral Code in 1932 and lowered the voting age from 18 to 16 in the 1988 constitution. The 1988 constitution also granted voluntary suffrage to the illiterate citizens of Brazil.

Brazilian voting machines

Presidential elections by party

Election results 1982–2018

Brazilian legislative elections (Chamber of Deputies), 1982–2018

Source: http://electionresources.org/br/deputies.php?election=2018&state=BR Source: http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Elecdata/Brazil/brazil.html

Referendums

Brazil has held three national referendums in its history. In the first, held on January 6, 1963, the people voted for the re-establishment of the presidential system of government (82% of valid ballots), which had been modified by a constitutional amendment in 1961. A second referendum, as ordered by the Federal Constitution of 1988, was held on April 21, 1993, when the voters voted for a republican form of government and reaffirmed the presidential system.

A third national referendum, on the prohibition of the commerce of personal firearms and ammunition, was held on October 23, 2005. The ban proposal was rejected by 64% of the electorate.

Notes

References

References

1. Gallagher, Michael. "Election Indices".
2. Nohlen, Dieter. (2005). "Elections in the Americas: A Data Handbook. Volume 2: South America". Oxford University Press.
3. BBC News. (28 October 2018). "Brazil election: Your guide in five charts".
4. Rudolph, Phil. (1 February 2025). "New leaders elected to Brazil's Congress promise independence from Lula". Reuters.
5. [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/09/brazil-lula-renounces-candidacy-presidential-poll-180910132703852.html Brazil: Lula renounces candidacy ahead of presidential] poll
6. (2011-02-22). "Grumpy about voting reform". [[The Economist]].
7. "The Federal Senate". Portal da Câmara dos Deputados.
8. Andrianantoandro, Andy. (2010-10-14). "Brazil's Presidential Hopefuls Face Runoff, National Congress Needs Reform". [[FairVote]].org.
9. "Como funciona o sistema proporcional?". Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (Superior Electoral Court).
10. Romao, Mauricio. (2010-05-05). "Parlamentares "Eleitos Por Média"".
11. ""Voting is compulsory for Brazilians aged 18 to 70"". Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (Superior Electoral Court).
12. (2009). "Compulsory for Whom? Mandatory Voting and Electoral Participation in Brazil, 1986-2006". Journal of Politics in Latin America.