Brasília – The number of Brazilians abroad registered to vote in this presidential election is of 500,727 people, according to data from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE). For these expats to vote, 171 electronic ballot boxes will be sent to cities in 99 countries. This year, the voting places were expanded, now covering regions such as China’s inland and the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.
The information was provided by the head of the Foreign Voting District (ZZ), Juliana Caitano. Voters living abroad can only vote for the presidential election.
The increase of 41.3% in Brazilians registered to vote abroad over the last election is due to a partnership between TSE and Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty), which facilitated voter’s enlistment. Plus, the Electoral Justice points out that technology innovations, such as the Título Net Exterior, which cut red tape for registration and transferring for voters living abroad.
In all, 744 ballot boxes will be sent to voting places abroad. From these, 680 are electronic ballot boxes and 64 are regular ballot boxes. The regular ones will go to places with custom difficulties, loss of power issues and political instability or locations with a small number of registered voters.
Boston has the highest number of registered voters abroad with 35,044, followed by Miami, with 34,356 voters, and Tokyo, with 26,092. The first and second rounds of voting abroad take place at the same date of the election in Brazil, from 8 am to 5 pm, local time.
Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
