Starting at 8am this Sunday (27th), Brasília time, voters from 15 capitals and 36 municipalities return to the polls to elect the mayors who will represent them for the next four years. There is no second round for the race for the position of councilor. Voting stations will be open until 5pm, also Brasília time.
For the first time, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) adopted a unified timetable for municipal elections. The measure had already been applied in the 2022 General Elections and was maintained for this year’s election.
For this second round, voters from Campo Grande (MS), Cuiabá (MT), Manaus (AM) and Porto Velho (RO), which have different time zones from the federal capital, should pay attention to the clock. In these locations, voting hours will be from 7am to 4pm (local time).
Anyone who did not vote in the first round can vote in the second, as the Electoral Court considers each round as an independent election. Likewise, anyone who does not vote in either round will have to justify it twice.
Brazilian legislation determines that voting is mandatory for those aged between 18 and 70 and optional for illiterate people, young people aged 16 and 17 and for everyone over 70. But you must have your electoral registration card in good standing. This year, voters had until May 8 to regularize the document.
Identification
In this second round, almost 34 million voters will be able to vote in the choice of mayors. They must appear at the polling station with an official document with photo. e-Title, identity card, social identity, passport, professional card recognized by law, reservist certificate, work card and national driver’s license are accepted.
It is not mandatory to take the card to vote, as long as the voter knows the voting number and place, which can be consulted on the website from the TSE or by e-Título. The Electoral Justice app could only be downloaded until this Saturday and should be available for download after the election. Some services may be unavailable on election weekends to ensure better usability of the application on that day.
According to the legislation, official documents without photos, birth and marriage certificates will not be accepted at polling stations, in order to ensure adequate identification of voters.
Voters who are unable to attend the election must justify their absence from voting. In municipal elections, there is no possibility of voting in transit. On election day, citizens can justify their absence through the e-title application or through physical points set up by the regional electoral courts (TREs).
The deadline to present the justification is up to 60 days after the election – December 5, 2024 in the first round and December 26 in the second round. In the case of Brazilians who were abroad, the deadline is 30 days after returning to Brazil.
Security
When voting, after identification by document and fingerprints, it is also necessary to follow some rules. When entering the voting booth, it is prohibited to take any object or electronic device, such as a cell phone, radio, camera, video camera or any other equipment that could compromise the secrecy of the vote, even if it is turned off. Only assistive technology resources, such as hearing aids, for example, are allowed.
The voter can arrive at the polling station with a cell phone or other devices, even to identify with the e-title, but cannot take them to the voting booth. The device must be turned off and left in a location indicated by the poll workers, who will be responsible for it.
Anyone who refuses to leave their cell phone in the designated location will not be able to vote. If you insist, the section president may request the assistance of a police officer to enforce the rule. In some sections, metal detectors may be used to prevent access with electronic devices.
The slip, the paper reminder with the candidate number, can be taken to the voting booth.
Voter preference for a particular candidate can also be expressed on election day individually and silently through the use of flags, pins, stickers and t-shirts. But the gathering of people or the use of propaganda instruments that identify a party, coalition or federation is prohibited by law. The use of loudspeakers, sound amplifiers, holding a rally or motorcade, persuasion of the electorate and exit propaganda are considered crimes.
Throughout the national territory, it is also a crime for collectors, shooters and hunters to transport weapons and ammunition between 24 hours before and 24 hours after the elections, including for civilians with a state license or possession. The exceptions are for agents on duty, such as those working in policing or security in penal establishments and juvenile detention units. The rule applies even to places where there is no second round.
Electoral legislation also establishes reservations regarding the work of security forces, who must maintain a distance of 100 meters from the polling station. To approach voting locations, a court order or a summons from the competent electoral authority will be required.
Second round
The Federal Constitution of 1988 determines that the second round to elect the mayor takes place only in municipalities with more than 200 thousand voters, where none of the candidates for the position won an absolute majority of the votes to be elected, that is, half plus one of the valid votes (blank votes and invalid votes excluded).
The legislation determines that, in elections for mayors in municipalities with less than 200,000 voters, a simple majority is sufficient: whoever has the most valid votes is elected, with there being no possibility of a second round in these locations.
In 2024, municipal elections for the position of mayor will take place in a second round in 51 municipalities in the country, 15 of which are capital cities: Aracaju (SE), Curitiba (PR), Natal (RN), Belém (PA), Fortaleza (CE), Palmas (TO), Belo Horizonte (MG), Goiânia (GO), Porto Alegre (RS), Campo Grande (MS), João Pessoa (PB), Porto Velho (RO), Cuiabá (MT), Manaus (AM) and São Paulo (SP).
The other 36 municipalities where there will be a second round are: Anápolis (GO), Aparecida de Goiânia (GO), Barueri (SP), Camaçari (BA), Campina Grande (PB), Canoas (RS), Caucaia (CE), Caxias do South (RS), Diadema (SP), Franca (SP), Guarujá (SP), Guarulhos (SP), Imperatriz (MA), Jundiaí (SP), Limeira (SP), Londrina (PR), Mauá (SP), Niterói (RJ), Olinda (PE), Paulista (PE), Pelotas (RS), Petrópolis (RJ), Piracicaba (SP), Ponta Grossa (PR), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Santa Maria (RS), Santarém ( PA), Santos (SP), São Bernardo do Campo (SP), São José do Rio Preto (SP), São José dos Campos (SP), Serra (ES), Sumaré (SP), Taboão da Serra (SP), Taubaté (SP) and Uberaba (MG).
Fake news
The Electoral Court reported that various false information about the elections is circulating among the population, mainly through digital social networks. One of them is that the vote will serve as proof of life for the National Social Security Institute (INSS).
“The moment of voting is the exercise of the right of each voter to choose their representative. That’s it and only that. Voting is an exercise of citizenship and, on election day in 2024, nothing more will be determined or used for any citizen of any age other than the choice of their representative in the Municipal Power”, explained the TSE.
The body created the website Fact or Rumorwhich provides clarification of information related to the electoral process.
