TRE confirms Douglas Ruas as governor after recalculation

The Regional Electoral Court of Rio de Janeiro confirmed, on Thursday, the victory of Douglas Ruas to the Fluminense government. The confirmation came after the recalculation of the votes, derived from the decision of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) that maintained the rejection of the candidacy of Anthony Garotinho (Republicans) and annulled his 274,411 votes. With the exclusion of these votes, the base of valid votes was reduced, allowing Ruas to exceed the absolute majority required in the first round.

The rectification does not represent recounting or transfer of votes between candidates. The procedure preserves the vote registered in the polls and modifies only the percentages, removing invalidated votes. In this way, Ruas exceeded the 50% necessary to win without the need for a second round.

Understand the recalculation of votes

The recalculation is a technical procedure provided for in the electoral legislation. When a candidacy is rejected after the election, the votes allocated to it are considered null and void for purposes of totalization. This does not mean that voters who voted for Garotinho had their votes transferred to another candidate; they simply stop counting as valid votes.

In the case in question, the annulment of Garotinho’s 274,411 votes reduced the total number of valid votes. As the percentage of each candidate is calculated on that total, the exclusion indirectly benefited the other competitors, especially Douglas Ruas, who was already leading the dispute.

According to the source, the retooling fully preserves the records of the electronic ballot boxes. There is no change in ballot papers or individual votes; only the final calculation is adjusted to reflect the new legal reality.

The decision of TSE was decisive

The origin of the recalculation is in the decision of the TSE that maintained the rejection of the candidacy of Anthony Garotinho. The former governor was barred from running under the Ficha Limpa Act due to previous convictions. With the definitive rejection, their votes could not be considered valid.

The TSE had already signaled this position before the election, but the final confirmation occurred after the election, which generated the need for re-storage. The measure is standard in similar cases and aims to ensure the legal certainty of the electoral process.

The source did not detail the exact timing of the decision, but confirmed that the recalculation was completed and approved by the TRE-RJ.

Impact on the final result

With the retooling, Douglas Ruas reached a percentage of more than 50% of the valid votes, guaranteeing victory in the first round. Before the recalculation, the election was headed for a second round, as no candidate had reached the absolute majority.

The change in the result does not imply any irregularity. On the contrary, it reflects the correct application of the law after the judicial definition on the candidature of Garotinho. The voter can be sure that the process was conducted within the norms.

For the Fluminense voters, the confirmation ends a period of uncertainty about who would occupy the Guanabara Palace. Douglas Ruas assumes the position with the legitimacy conferred by Justiça Eleitoral.

What the legislation says

Brazilian electoral legislation provides that if a candidate has his registration rejected after the election, his votes are considered null for all purposes. This is provided for in the Electoral Code and in TSE resolutions.

The rectification procedure is carried out by the Justiça Eleitoral itself, without the need for a new vote. The totalization systems are adjusted to disregard the votes of the rejected candidate, automatically recalculating the percentages of the others.

Experts consulted by the report explain that the measure is essential to preserve the popular will expressed in the polls, while respecting judicial decisions on eligibility.

Next steps

With the confirmation of the victory, Douglas Ruas should be graduated from TRE-RJ and take office as governor. The date of the diplomacy has not yet been disclosed by the source, but it is expected to occur in the coming weeks.

The transition team has been working since the election, and can now speed up preparations for management. The new governor will have the challenge of managing the state in a scenario of economic recovery and social demands.

The Boca no Trombone Portal will continue to monitor the unfolding of this decision and its impacts for Rio de Janeiro and the national political scenario.

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