IFES
 

Oct. 4, 2026 Confirmed

Brazil
Federative Republic of Brazil
Election for Brazilian Presidency

General Information

At Stake in this Election:  

  • The Presidency of Brazil. 

 

Government Structure:  

  • Chief of State: President Luiz Inácio LULA DA SILVA (since 1 January 2023) 

  • Head of Government: President Luiz Inácio LULA DA SILVA (since 1 January 2023) 

  • Assembly: bicameral National Congress (Congresso Nacional) with an 81-seat Federal Senate (Senado Federal) and a 513-seat Chamber of Deputies (Câmara dos Deputados)  

 

Electoral System:   

  • The 81 Members of the Federal Senate  are directly elected to serve 8-year terms, with three Senators representing each of Brazil’s 27 federal units (26 states and 1 federal district). Elections are staggered, with one-third or two-thirds of seats being elected on an alternating basis every four years. In years where one-third of the seats are up for election, voters cast one vote and the candidate who receives a plurality in their state is elected. In years where two-thirds of seats are up for election, voters can cast two votes, though not for the same person.  

  • The 513 members of the Chamber of Deputies are elected to a four-year term. They are elected by proportional representation. The number of deputies elected is proportional to the size of the population of the respective state (or Federal District), with the least-populated states electing eight deputies, and the highest population state electing seventy deputies.   

 

Last Election:  

Luis Inácio Lula da Silva won the last election in a runoff against Jair Bolsonaro. Voter turnout was 79%. 

 

New/Unique in this Election:  

Brazil amended Law No. 4,737, of July 15, 1965 (Electoral Code), and Law No. 9,504, of September 30, 1997 (Electoral Law) in advance of the elections. In practical terms, the amendments clarified that parties may form coalitions to compete in majoritarian, but not in proportional representation races; updated criteria for allocation of seats under the proportional system; set rules for debates for parties and candidates taking part in proportional representation races. 

 

Information for Voters: 

O seu guia das Eleições / Your Election Guide (in Portuguese)  

 

Key Deadlines: 

 

Main Candidates in this Election: 

  • Clariana Barão  

    • Party: Christian Democracy 

  • Flávio Bolsonaro  

    • Party: Liberal Party 

  • Ronaldo Caiado  

    • Party: Social Democratic Party 

  • Edmilson Costa 

    • Party: Brazilian Communist Party 

  • Hertz Dias   

    • Party: Unified Workers Socialist Party 

  • Wilson Grassi  

    • Party: Democrats 

  • Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva 

    • Party: Workers’ Party (running on a ticket with a candidate from the Brazilian Socialist Party) 

  • Samara Martins  

    • Party: Popular Unity Party 

  • Rui Costa Pimenta  

    • Party: Workers' Cause Party 

  • Renan Santos  

    • Party: Mission Party 

  • Romeu Zema 

    • Party: New Party 

These listed candidates were approved by the Brazilian Tribunal Superior Eleitoral as of September 9, 2026. 

 

Country Context: 

 

Gender Data: 

  • CEDAW Status: Signed March 31, 1981, Ratified February 1, 1984  

  • Gender Quota:  For Chamber of Deputies elections, District and State Senates, and Municipal Councils, each party or coalition must reserve at least 30% of candidacies, and not more than 70% of candidacies for each gender. See Article 10, Paragraph 3 on the ‘Registration of Candidates.’  

  • Female Candidates in this election: Yes  

  • Number of Female Legislators (pre-election): 14 out of 81 (17%) in the Federal Senate and 90 out of 513 (18%) in the Chamber of Deputies  

 

Disability Data: 

  • CRPD Status: Signed March 30, 2007, Ratified August 1, 2008  

  • Projected population with a disability: 34,049,985 (2025 est.) 

 

IFES Resources: 

  • Election Snapshot / FAQs (if available) 

Election Modified: Aug 07, 2026

Most Recent Elections in Brazil

With Participation Rates