| Saraiva Law | |
|---|---|
| Chamber of Deputies | |
| |
| Territorial extent | Empire of Brazil |
| Passed by | Chamber of Deputies |
| Passed | 25 June 1880 |
| Passed by | Senate |
| Passed | 4 January 1881 |
| Signed by | Pedro II |
| Commenced | 9 January 1881 |
| First chamber: Chamber of Deputies | |
| Introduced by | José Antônio Saraiva |
| Summary | |
| Reforms electoral legislation | |
The so-called Saraiva Law (Portuguese: Lei Saraiva), officially Decree No. 3,029 of 9 January 1881, was the law that reformed the electoral system in the Empire of Brazil, instituting, for the first time, the elector registration in the country, and the direct elections for all elective positions: senators, deputies to the General Assembly, members of the Provincial Legislative Assemblies, municipal councilors and justices of the peace, but prohibited the illiterate to vote, which significantly reduced the number of people eligible to vote as most of the country's population was illiterate.
The law also established that immigrants, in particular merchants and small industrialists, as well as those who were not Catholics, the official religion of the Empire, could be elected, provided they had an annual income of no less than two hundred thousand réis.
The final drafter of the law was general deputy Ruy Barbosa. The law's name was a tribute to councilor José Antônio Saraiva, then President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) of Brazil, who was responsible for the biggest electoral reform in the country until then (Saraiva Cabinet of 1880).