Brazil election authority changes addresses of 4,352 voting sections for runoff

Brazil's Superior Electoral Court has changed the addresses of 4,352 voting sections for the second round of the 2026 elections, scheduled for Sunday, October 25. The changes represent 0.87 percent of the country's 499,248 sections and were caused by issues such as rain damage, building renovations, accessibility problems, and power outages.

São Paulo has the highest number of changes with 982 sections, followed by Minas Gerais with 514, Rio de Janeiro with 431, and Bahia with 312. The electoral court said the address changes do not reduce the number of sections or harm voters' right to vote.

“If the State imposes on the citizen the obligation to vote, it is up to it, to the same extent, to provide the material conditions for that obligation to be fulfilled.”

The court recommends that all voters check their updated polling place before leaving home, including those who already voted in the first round on October 4. In Paraná, voters in eight locations across seven municipalities will vote at different places due to reasons such as lack of water, renovations, and weather conditions.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's campaign has asked the electoral court to notify affected voters directly, including through WhatsApp, and to publish new addresses within 48 hours. The coalition also requested measures to guarantee voter transportation for the runoff.