Elections in Brazil

Elections in Brazil are administered by the Justiça Eleitoral, or Electoral Justice system. It organizes the electoral process, maintains voter administration, supervises candidacies under electoral rules, counts votes, and resolves electoral disputes. Voters elect executive leaders and legislative representatives. Executive offices include president, governors, and mayors, while legislative offices include federal and state or district deputies, senators, and municipal councillors known as vereadores. National and state elections are held together in one electoral cycle. Municipal elections form another cycle and choose mayors and vereadores for local government. Executive elections choose one leader for the relevant territory. Depending on the office and result, a second round may be used when no candidate reaches the required support under the applicable system. Legislative elections do not all use the same method. Deputies and vereadores are chosen through a proportional system in which candidate and party performance matter, while senators are chosen through a majority system. Political parties are central to candidacies in Brazil. They organize candidates and programs, and party alliances may also shape electoral competition under the rules applicable to each type of election. Voting commonly takes place through electronic voting machines. The voter selects candidates for several offices, confirms each choice, and the Electoral Justice system consolidates the recorded votes. Elections provide peaceful competition, representation, and public accountability. Their limits include complex legislative rules, misleading campaign messages, unequal political influence, and the fact that one officeholder cannot control every level or branch of government.