Brazil's First-Round Election Runs Smoothly, TSE Chief Says

Brazil's first-round municipal elections concluded on Sunday with the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) reporting overall normality. President Kassio Nunes Marques stated that only 1,121 of nearly 500,000 electronic voting machines required replacement, representing 0.2% of the total, and no manual voting was necessary.

Nunes Marques confirmed there were no concrete indications of foreign interference in the electoral process, citing the absence of alerts from the Federal Police and the Brazilian Intelligence Agency. He also noted no significant threats from organized crime against the vote.

“Before speed, we prioritize security. In what is essential, our system proved absolutely reliable.”

Authorities apprehended R$ 380,000 in cash and detained 59 individuals for suspected electoral crimes, with 25 caught in the act. The TSE chief highlighted that climate-related challenges in the North and South were managed through preemptive relocation of polling stations.

Abstention reached 21.07%, equivalent to over 33.4 million voters, slightly higher than the 20.95% recorded in 2022. Nunes Marques acknowledged the rate is not ideal and pledged efforts to boost turnout for the runoff. Among optional voters, abstention neared 50% for those over 70 and 20% for youth aged 16-17.

Results publication faced a 50-minute delay due to a data traffic surge that congested a dissemination system. Nunes Marques emphasized that security protocols were followed and the system remained reliable. The e-Title app recorded 8.6 million emissions and 4.3 million justifications on election day alone.