Electoral system of Brazil

Electoral system of Brazil
Voting
Universal, secret and direct
MandatoryLiterate people aged 18 to 70[1]
OptionalPeople aged 16-17 or over 70 years old and illiterate people aged 18 to 70
Candidacy
  • Mandatory party affiliation (independent candidacies not allowed)[2][3]
  • Possibility of non-verticalized coalitions[2][4][5]
  • Gender quota (from 30% to 70%)[2]
  • Possibility of one only consecutive reelection (only for executive offices)[6]
Elective offices
Executive officesPresident, governor and mayors[1]
Legislative officesSenators, federal representatives, state representatives, district representatives and city councillors[1]
Term length8 years for senators and 4 years for all other offices.[6]
FrequencyBiennial alternation between municipal elections and federal and state elections[6]
Campaign financing
PrivateLimited self donations and limited individual donations
PublicFederal Party Fund and party political broadcast
Voting method and ballot
Two-round systemPresident, governors and mayors in cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants[7]
First-past-the-postSenators (alternating every 4 years) and mayors in cities with less than 200,000 inhabitants[7]
Plurality block votingSenators (alternating every 4 years)[7]
Open list proportional representationFederal, state and district representatives and city councillors[7]
BallotElectronic[1]
This article is part of a series on the
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The electoral system of Brazil is the set of means used to choose representatives and government members of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The current system is defined by the 1988 Constitution and the Electoral Code [pt] (Law No. 4,737 of 1965), in addition to being regulated by the Superior Electoral Court (Portuguese: Tribunal Superior Eleitoral, TSE) as delegated by law. The Constitution itself already defines three distinct electoral systems, which are detailed in the Electoral Code: proportional elections for the Chamber of Deputies, mirrored in the legislative powers at the state (Legislative Assemblies) and municipal (City Council) levels, majority elections with one or two elected representatives to the Federal Senate and majority elections in two rounds for president and other executive heads in other spheres.

  1. ^ a b c d Dias Toffoli, José Antonio (January–March 2015). "Quem financia a democracia no Brasil?". Interesse Nacional (in Brazilian Portuguese) (28). ISSN 1982-8497. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Guia do Candidato - Informações para registro de candidaturas" (PDF). Justiça Eleitoral (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Candidatura sem vínculo partidário também está em debate". Senado Federal (in Brazilian Portuguese). 18 March 2011. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  4. ^ Oliveira, Noelle; Rodrigues, Léo (9 July 2013). "Como funcionam as coligações partidárias?". Agência Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  5. ^ "Senado aprova fim das coligações em eleições proporcionais; proposta segue para Câmara". Câmara dos Deputados (in Brazilian Portuguese). 24 March 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Venturini, Lilian (17 February 2016). "Sistema eleitoral: as regras do jogo e os questionamentos". Nexo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d Oliveira, Noelle; Rodrigues, Léo (9 July 2013). "Como funciona o sistema eleitoral brasileiro?". Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 8 July 2023.