Supreme Court Extends Brazil Vote By Two Hours After Bus Disruptions
- Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ordered voting hours extended nationwide by two hours, moving closing time to 19:00 local time.
- The Supreme Court intervention followed an emergency legal challenge filed by the presidential campaign of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
- Meanwhile, the political camp of incumbent candidate Jair Bolsonaro also petitioned the judiciary on election day.
Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ordered voting hours extended nationwide by two hours, moving closing time to 19:00 local time. Au vu de la gravité des faits et de l’urgence de prendre cette mesure, j’ordonne la prolongation pour deux heures, jusqu’à 19h00
(22:00 GMT), the judge declared in a court document consulted by Agence France-Presse.
Lula Campaign Challenges Transit Restrictions
The Supreme Court intervention followed an emergency legal challenge filed by the presidential campaign of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The campaign reported that public transit buses were deliberately pulled from circulation in major metropolitan areas on election day. Affected municipalities included São Paulo in the southeast, governed by a right-wing mayor, and Salvador da Bahia in the northeast. The court found that these transit reductions hindered voter access and required a nationwide extension.
Bolsonaro Camp Petitions Over Severe Weather
Meanwhile, the political camp of incumbent candidate Jair Bolsonaro also petitioned the judiciary on election day. Lawyers for the Bolsonaro campaign asked the Superior Electoral Tribunal to extend voting hours in two specific states due to severe weather conditions. That petition cited heavy rainfall and storms in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais and the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Final Ballots Cast Across Brazil
The two-hour extension applies to all polling stations across the country, giving voters additional time to cast their ballots amid the reported transit disruptions and regional weather challenges. Election authorities have not yet released final turnout figures following the court-mandated schedule adjustment.