Over 40 murders took place in the last three months during the campaign. And this Sunday, Brazilians will choose a new mayor, equal to the president of the Chamber, and the other councilors.
In Brazil, there are more than 5,500 municipalities and, unlike what happens in Portugal, mayors are not chosen by list. Votes are cast directly on candidates. Mayors in Brazil are chosen based on an open list system in which the candidate with the most votes directly wins vacancies.
Today’s vote excludes the Federal District, where the governor exercises the administration of the territory, including the country’s capital, Brasilia.
The Supreme Electoral Court (TSE), the body responsible for organizing and monitoring Brazilian elections, reported that it registered a total of 463,367 candidacies.
Of this number, 93.23% (431,980) are for the post of councillor, and 3.36% (15,573) for mayor and 3.41% (15,814) for deputy mayor.
The data also shows that the majority of the candidates are men 304,335 (65.68%), while only 158,989 (34.31%) are women.
Of the 5,569 municipalities that will participate in these elections, only 103 areas will be able to choose the mayor in the second round, which is scheduled for October 27.
This happens because the Brazilian electoral law provides for voting in two rounds in cities with more than 200,000 voters where the candidate with the most votes was not able to overcome half of the valid votes (a calculation that excludes blank and invalid votes).
Brazil’s cities have a combined 60.5 million voters who could have a second round, which is equivalent to 38.8% of Brazil’s electorate.
In most of the country, polls open at 08:00 local time (12:00 in Lisbon) and close at 17:00 (21:00 in Lisbon).
In the Brazilian state of Acre and in 11 municipalities in Amazonas, voting begins at 06:00 local time and ends at 15:00.
In the rest of Amazonas, in Roraima, Pará, Rondonia, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, voting starts at 07:00 local time and ends at 16:00 due to the time difference.
C/Lusa