Flávio Bolsonaro asks TSE for extension of voting due to the rains
Campaign of the presidential candidate requests two more hours of voting in municipalities of Paraná, São Paulo and Santa Catarina and also wants to delay the announcement of election results
The campaign of the candidate for the Presidency of the Republic Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) presented, on Sunday (25), a request to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) to extend the voting time of the second round of the 2026 Elections in 17 municipalities of three Brazilian states. The request foresees that the ballot boxes remain open until 7 pm, two hours beyond official time, due to the disturbances caused by heavy rains.
The document was forwarded to the president of TSE, Minister Kassio Nunes Marques. According to the candidate’s defense, flooding, road blockades, changes in polling places and interruptions in the energy supply made it difficult to move voters to the electoral sections. In addition to the extension, the campaign requested that the disclosure of the results of the presidential election be postponed until the end of voting in the municipalities eventually benefiting from the measure.
Paraná has two cities included in the order
In Paraná, the request contemplates Curitiba and Guaratuba, municipalities that registered problems related to rainfall. According to the information presented by the campaign, 3,745 voters had to change their polling places in the two cities because of the disturbances caused by the bad weather.
The Regional Electoral Court of Paraná (TRE-PR) had already communicated, on Saturday (24), the transfer of electoral sections in the Industrial City of Curitiba (CIC) and in Guaratuba, after the rains hit structures used for voting. The defense of Flávio Bolsonaro argues that these situations can compromise the exercise of the right to vote, especially among voters who face difficulties in reaching the new addresses.
The 17 cities that can have the vote extended
The application submitted to TSE includes municipalities from three states:
São Paulo: São Paulo (capital), Jundiaí, Itapevi, Americana, Santa Bárbara d’Oeste, Itapetininga, Botucatu, Apiaí, Ribeira e Iporanga.
Paraná: Curitiba and Guaratuba.
Santa Catarina: Tijucas, Vine, Trombudo Central, Joaçaba and Águas de Chapecó.
In Itapevi, in the interior of São Paulo, 446 voters were transferred to the polling place due to access problems. In Santa Catarina, the campaign also mentioned one-off situations involving power outages and travel difficulties.
Campaign also wants to postpone dissemination of results
Another important point of the request involves the beginning of the dissemination of votes for President of the Republic. The Flávio Bolsonaro campaign asks that, if the schedule is extended, the presidential results be released only after 7 pm, when the voting in the cities contemplated would end.
The proposal allows the other electoral sections to continue to transmit ballot papers normally, but requests that the numbers not be publicly disclosed before the closure of the additional deadline. The defense maintains that the measure seeks to prevent voters still in the voting process from becoming aware of the partial results of the presidential dispute.
What happens if the TSE does not accept the order?
If Justiça Eleitoral does not authorize the extension of the schedule in all 17 municipalities, the lawyers presented alternatives. One of them provides for extension only in specific electoral sections of Itapevi, Americana, Curitiba and Guaratuba.
Another possibility suggested by the campaign is to allow electoral judges to authorize up to two additional hours of voting in places where problems related to floods, landslides, road blocks or interruptions in energy supply are proven.
By the electoral rules, the vote is scheduled to end at 5 pm, in Brasília time. Voters who are already in line at this time have the right to vote, even after the official time closes.
Lula also called for an extension of the voting time
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), opponent of Flávio Bolsonaro in the second round, also turned to the courts to request the extension of the voting time on Sunday. In this case, the justification is related to the difficulties faced by voters due to the reduction of bus traffic in different Brazilian cities.
Among the municipalities mentioned are São Paulo, Salvador, Feira de Santana and Lauro de Freitas. In Salvador, the Bahia Regional Electoral Court has determined measures to re-establish public transport and ordered the arrest of the municipal secretary of Mobility, Pablo Souza, amid complaints of problems in the supply of buses.
Decision of TSE is awaited
Until the update of this report, there was no confirmation of authorization to extend the voting time in the mentioned municipalities. The analysis of the requests can influence both the closing time of the vote in the affected localities and the beginning of the disclosure of the results of the presidential dispute.
The second round of the 2026 elections takes place on Sunday (25) and defines the next president of the Republic.
