Brazil prepares infrastructure for runoff election this Sunday

Brazil's second-round elections on Sunday, March 25th, are setting electoral infrastructure in motion across the country. The Regional Electoral Court of Pará began distributing more than 23,000 electronic ballot boxes on Thursday for use across 101 voting zones in the state, requiring nearly 6,000 vehicles to transport the equipment to polling stations. Pernambuco has also started distributing 22,694 electronic ballot boxes to 18 electoral centres, following a logistics and security schedule that includes integrity tests through election day.

In São Paulo state, the electoral office in Itapetininga conducted an audit of the ballot boxes to be used in the runoff. More than 470 electronic ballot boxes were inspected for deployment in Itapetininga, Alambari and Sarapuí. The equipment, already used in the first round, remains sealed to ensure security. The Electoral Court of the Federal District is also coordinating the preparation of ballot boxes for voting abroad, where logistics involve considerations of distance and diplomatic relations.

To ease voter travel, several cities will provide free public transport on election day. In Manaus, buses will run free of charge from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m., with special traffic operations between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. Natal will also offer free public transport from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., without requiring an electoral card or transit pass. In interior Amazonas, the Electoral Court instructed judges to adopt measures ensuring free transport, particularly in hard-to-reach regions.

In the Paraíba Valley and Bragança region, at least 14 cities will provide free buses. In Mato Grosso do Sul, voters in Campo Grande, Dourados, Corumbá and Três Lagoas will have free public transport, although the Ponta Porã municipality announced it will not adopt the measure. Schedules and operating conditions vary by municipality.

Traffic measures have been implemented in Pernambuco to facilitate access to polling stations. The National Department of Roads in Pernambuco will disable electronic speed cameras on BR-232 between Recife and Caruaru from 5 a.m. Saturday through 5 a.m. Monday. The shutdown aims to improve traffic flow during the expected increase in vehicle circulation.

Social media posts have raised questions about the security of electronic ballot boxes used in the country, though posts using clips from television reports to suggest fraud in Brazilian ballot boxes have no verifiable connection to Brazil's elections.