Brazil extends voting by two hours after Federal Supreme Court ruling

Brazil's runoff vote in the 2026 General Elections was originally scheduled to close at 5 p.m. Brasília time, with a unified end across the country. However, Federal Supreme Court minister Cristiano Zanin extended voting until 7 p.m., citing obstacles faced by voters in different cities in accessing public transport and reaching polling stations.

According to Folha de S.Paulo, the extension of voting hours is unprecedented at least since 1994, when Brazil began using electronic ballot machines, though requests for deadline extensions have been made in earlier contests. The decision was made on Sunday, October 25.

In the early hours of voting, the process proceeded smoothly in some regions. In Amapá, the start of voting for president was marked by an absence of long queues or delays at polling stations, with professionals and volunteers from the Regional Electoral Court guiding voters.

Implementation of the extension was uneven across different states. The president of Pernambuco's Regional Electoral Court, judge Erik Simões, clarified that polling stations that had already closed would not reopen despite the extension to 7 p.m., allowing only people already in queues to vote. In Rio Grande do Norte, most polling stations maintained the 5 p.m. closing time despite minister Zanin's ruling.

Data from the Superior Electoral Court show that the two-hour extension resulted in an additional 34,300 votes recorded after the original closing time.