Mesário: leaves, aid and benefits in the 2026 elections
Acting as a mesário in the 2026 elections does not generate a salary, but offers leaves, food allowance and advantages in exams and studies. Understand the rules and how to benefit from these advantages.
Those who serve as messiahs in elections do not receive salary, but are entitled to a series of compensations, such as paid leave and food assistance. This year, 1,922,579 people registered as volunteers or were summoned to work in the 2026 elections. They will be distributed by 516,785 electoral sections in 2,641 electoral zones scattered throughout the country.
The first round will be held on October 4, and the eventual second round is scheduled for October 25. The positions of president, governor, senator, federal deputy and state or district deputy are in dispute. In total, 158.7 million voters are eligible to vote.
Guaranteed breaks for every day worked
Working in elections is not considered temporary employment and does not entitle to salary. But this does not mean that the messiah’s work is voluntary and without compensation. Those who act as messiah are entitled to two days off for each day worked in the elections, without discount on salary.
The training also guarantees two days off. That is, those who participate in the training, work in the first shift and also in the second can accumulate up to six days off. The dates of the leave must be combined between the employee and the employer.
The messiah receives a statement from Justiça Eleitoral that proves the days of service provided. The person can, for example, negotiate the use of the days at once or separately, including amending with holidays or holidays.
Food aid and other benefits
The messiahs also receive R$ 65 of food aid per voting shift. Those who work in the two shifts, therefore, receive R$ 130 in total. For those who provide public tenders, work as a messiah can bring another advantage: the electoral service can be used as a tiebreaker criterion, provided that this possibility is provided for in the notice.
Students from agreed institutions can also take advantage of electoral work and training to fulfill extracurricular activities. There are also states that offer additional benefits. At Paraná, for example, messiahs are entitled to half-entry to cultural and sporting events for two years after the election. There is also a provision for tax exemption in certain state and municipal public tenders, in accordance with the applicable legislation.
Rules for Multiple Jobs and Change of Work
Another important point is that, if the worker has more than one job, the right to leave applies to all the employment ties that he maintained at the time he acted in the elections. Those who change jobs after working as a messiah should be careful. The legislation does not guarantee the transfer of these leave to the new employment bond.
There are also rules to prevent relatives or people with certain professional ties from composing the same voting table. The source did not detail what these links are.
Registration and training of the mesarios
For the elections of 2026, the period of appointment of the messians took place between July 7 and August 28. Still, the registration for messier is permanent and can be done in advance for the next lawsuits. Enrolling as a volunteer does not mean automatic summons.
The Justiça Eleitoral evaluates the need of each electoral section and convenes volunteers according to local demand. Therefore, it is possible to register and not be called to act in that pleading. The training of the messiahs who will act in this year’s elections began on August 17.
The training is carried out through an application that works on mobile phones and tablets. The deadline for completion ends at 23:59 on October 3, the day before the first round. On the day of the vote, the application itself can also be used as a kind of guide, with guidelines on the procedures for opening and closing the electoral section.
For those who have not yet registered, the permanent registration allows interested parties to register at any time for future lawsuits. The Justiça Eleitoral did not detail the exact criteria for summoning, but it reinforces that local demand is the main factor.
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