Brazil extends voting at still-open stations, delays election count

Brazil’s electoral authorities delayed the counting and publication of second-round election results on Sunday, 25 October, after a Supreme Federal Court order extended voting at polling stations that had not already closed.

The Superior Electoral Court, known as the TSE, said at 18:44 Brasília time that it would resume receiving polling-station returns, counting votes and releasing results after 19:00. That threshold corresponds to midnight at the start of Monday, 26 October, in South Africa.

Extension limited to stations still open

Justice Cristiano Zanin extended voting until 19:00 at locations where ballot boxes had not closed at 17:00, according to the Supreme Federal Court’s official account. The order covered such locations across Brazil’s municipalities, rather than reopening every polling station.

The court said both presidential campaigns had alleged problems with voter transport. Zanin granted an interim order in case RCL 101673. The transport concerns were allegations cited in the court’s explanation, not a final finding of electoral wrongdoing.

The TSE subsequently clarified that voting remained under way only where it had not ended at 17:00. It said most of its judges were gathered at the court presidency’s office awaiting the end of voting when the statement was issued.

No outcome announced in the clarification

The announcement set a timetable for resuming the electoral process; it did not declare an election winner. Its reference to counting after 19:00 should not be read as confirmation that the count had finished or that a result had been determined.