Lula and Flávio compete for 40 thousand votes abroad

More than 40,000 votes of Brazilians living abroad are in dispute in the second round between Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and Flávio Bolsonaro (PL). The number represents the total of voters who, in the first round, did not vote on either of the two candidates who are now competing in the presidential election. The dispute comes amid a high abstention rate recorded outside the country.

In the first round, held on October 4, Lula obtained 157.3 thousand votes abroad, while Flávio Bolsonaro received 143.9 thousand. The difference between the two is just over 13,000 votes. Now, the campaigns seek to win the electorate that went to the polls, but voted on the names of the third way, white or null.

Record Abstention Wide Dispute

Of the more than 900,000 Brazilians able to vote abroad, only one-third attended the polls in the first round. According to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), 916,534 people can participate in elections in polling areas spread across 134 countries. In the first round, however, 574,345 of them chose not to vote.

The abstention rate was a record in this election, surpassing the levels of the last four elections, when the rate never exceeded 60%. Still, more than 300,000 voters registered presence abroad in the first round. For the campaigns, this electorate is seen as interested and may be willing to return next Sunday.

Disputed votes can grow

The number of votes contested abroad could still increase if the 62.69% of eligible voters outside the country, who did not participate in the first round, decide to go to the polls on Sunday (25/10). In addition to the 29,595 votes on other candidates, there are also the blank and null votes, which together exceed 40,000.

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, was the city abroad with the highest number of abstentions in the first round. 49,964 Brazilian voters decided not to go to the polls. Although the Brazilian electoral base abroad has increased 31.82% in this year’s elections, the TSE states that Brazilians who can vote outside the country account for 0.58% of all Brazilian electorate.

See the 10 cities with the highest abstentions

The TSE released the list of the 10 cities with the highest abstention rates in the first round. The source did not detail the names of other cities besides Lisbon, but the full ranking can be consulted on the court’s website. High abstention abroad reflects a global trend of disinterest or difficulty in accessing polling places.

For candidates, every vote abroad can be decisive in a tight election. The dispute over the 40,000 third-way votes, null and white, is seen as strategic by the campaigns. The second round takes place on Sunday, October 25, and the expectation is that the participation abroad will increase.

The Boca no Trombone Portal will continue to follow the counting and the unfolding of the presidential election abroad. Stay tuned for more information about the lawsuit and its impacts for Brazilians living outside the country.

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