Brazilian Presidential Elections: Everything You Need to Know
When will the presidential elections take place this year?
On Sunday, January 18th, in Portuguese territory. Early voting for those on the move took place a week earlier, on January 11th, at locations chosen by voters who registered to do so between January 4th and 8th.Early voting for hospitalized and incarcerated individuals took place between January 5th and 8th,following a request submitted on december 29th,2025,to the mayor of the municipality where they are registered. In-person voting abroad takes place between January 17th and 18th, and early voting between January 6th and 8th.
Who is eligible to vote?
According to the National Electoral Commission (CNE), “all Portuguese citizens” and “Brazilian citizens residing in Portugal with a citizen card or identity card (with equal political rights)” can vote, provided they are registered on the electoral roll.
How many candidates are running in these presidential elections?
As 1976, the presidential elections of October 18th, 2026 are the most contested ever, with André ventura, André Pestana, António Filipe, António José Seguro, Catarina Martins, Jorge Pinto, Henrique gouveia e Melo, Humberto Correia, João Cotrim de Figueiredo, Luís Marques Mendes and Manuel João Vieira all competing. Despite these being the only eligible names, the ballots will feature a total of 14 candidates. Though, candidates Joana Amaral Dias, Ricardo Sousa, and José Cardoso will not be eligible for election due to irregularities in the lists they submitted to the Constitutional Court. This is because ballot printing began on December 24th, the deadline for candidates with irregularities to resolve them or contest the decision, which would also involve court analysis and the possibility of appeal. Given that ballots needed to be sent to voters residing abroad by January 1st, there wasn’t time for the court’s opinion to be considered.