Politics · Brazil · 1 hr ago
Brazil election vote extension caused confusion at some polling places
Brazil’s Supreme Court justice Cristiano Zanin extended voting in the presidential runoff until 7 p.m.
on Sunday, after campaigns raised problems that they said had made it harder for voters to reach polling places.
The decision applied only to polling places where voting was still under way; ballot boxes already closed were not reopened.
The TSE, Brazil’s electoral authority, sent its notice after the decision, and some voters who arrived later found they could not vote.
In Rio de Janeiro, reports described voters turned away and polling places closed before 7 p.m.
TSE chief Kassio Nunes Marques said the late change created technical and data-handling difficulties, because many ballot boxes had already been closed.
Another account quoted him saying the decision caused no change to the election, while the count proceeded successfully and confirmed Lula’s re-election over Flávio Bolsonaro.
The sources say the votes from already closed ballot boxes were still counted, but they do not describe any further action planned over the confusion.
Brazil extended voting hours in the 2026 runoff election from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in polling sections where voting was still underway.
Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ordered the extension after requests citing problems that made it harder for voters to reach polling stations.
The election authority notified polling sections at 5:49 p.m., after some had already closed, and closed ballot boxes were not reopened.
Reports from Rio de Janeiro described voters arriving after polls had closed and being unable to vote.
Electoral Court president Kassio Nunes Marques said the extension created technical difficulties, while also saying the vote count proceeded successfully.
- Who
- The Superior Electoral Court and Supreme Court handled the extension. Lula’s and Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaigns sought more voting time.
- What
- Voting was extended until 7 p.m. in sections where ballot boxes were still open. Those already closed remained closed.
- When
- October 25, 2026. The extension was announced at about 5 p.m., with the election authority notifying sections at 5:49 p.m.
- Where
- Brazil.
- Why
- Requests cited transport problems and other obstacles that made it harder for voters to reach polling stations.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Lula’s campaign filed its first request to extend voting, citing a lack of buses in municipalities in Bahia.
Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign also requested an extension, citing weather, flooding, road closures and power outages in specified locations.
The Supreme Court announced Zanin’s decision to extend voting until 7 p.m.
The Superior Electoral Court notified polling sections; some had already closed.
- Original closing time
- 5 p.m.
- Extended closing time
- 7 p.m.
- TSE notice to polling sections
- 5:49 p.m.
- Abstention rate
- 19.20% in the runoff, compared with about 21.28% in the first round.
- Rio polling section
- Zone 211 received an earlier message at 5:13 p.m., according to Poder360.
6 sources
Nunes Marques diz que decisão do STF provocou dificuldades à eleição
Kassio diz que decisão de Zanin de prorrogar votação não provocou 'nenhuma alteração' na eleição
TSE avisou seções sobre prorrogação às 17h49
Kassio parabeniza Lula e rebate críticas por demora para prorrogar votação
Prorrogação da votação gera confusão no Rio com urnas já fechadas; eleitores recebem declaração de presença 'sem voto'
What people are saying
We had to block the receipt of ballot-box reports to ensure that the information they contained was not known even to the TSE itself.
There was no change resulting from the judicial decision.
I order that the decision be carried out at locations where the ballot boxes have not been closed; votes from ballot boxes that have already been closed will be counted and totaled.