Voters who are not in their cities in the first and second rounds of the October elections will not be able to vote. The restriction is because there is no possibility of voting in transit in municipal elections.
The first round of elections will be on October 6th. The second round of the dispute will be on October 27th in municipalities with more than 200 thousand voters, in which none of the candidates for mayor reached more than half of the valid votes, excluding blank and null votes, in the first round.
According to electoral rules, voters who are not at their electoral address must justify their absence from voting. The deadline for justification is 60 days after each round, which counts as an election. Anyone who does not vote in the first round can vote in the second.
Failure to vote and justify in both rounds results in two faults. From the third absence without justification, the voter is considered absent and may have their registration canceled for the next elections. Voters who are abroad do not vote, therefore, they do not need to justify it.
How to justify
On election day, citizens can justify their absence through the Electoral Court’s e-title application or through physical points set up by the regional electoral courts (TRE) on election day. The justification can also be made after the elections. In this case, the voter must fill out a form and deliver it to the electoral office in their locality.
Deadline to justify
Absence 1st shift: December 5, 2024
Absence in the 2nd shift: January 7, 2025
The Electoral Court recommends that voters preferably use the application to justify themselves. The app can be downloaded for free from Apple and Android online stores.
When accessing the e-title, the citizen must fill in the requested data and send the justification, which will be sent to an electoral judge. The voter must also pay the fine stipulated for absence from voting shifts. Each shift is equivalent to a R$3.51 fine.
Punishment
Voters who do not vote and fail to justify their vote three consecutive times may have their voter registration suspended or cancelled.
The measure creates several difficulties, such as being prevented from obtaining a passport, enrolling in public schools and universities and taking up public office after taking a competitive exam.
