Electoral System:
* brazil has tried several different election systems
* constitution of 1988 reestablished October 3 (ninety days before the inauguration of executive-branch elected officials) for the first round of voting, and November 15 for runoff elections when needed
* four types of majority elections: the president, governors, and mayors are elected by absolute majorities; senators, by simple majorities
* elections for president, governors, and mayors of cities with more than 200,000 voters, a runoff is required between the top two candidates if no one receives an absolute majority in the first round (50 percent plus at least one vote)
* president, governors, and mayors have their respective vice president, vice governors, and vice mayors = all elected on unified slates
* open-list d'Hondt proportional representation system to elect federal and state deputies and city council members
* coalitions are very important for proportional representation elections
- proportional representation campaigns are so individualized (many candidates never mention their party label in their propaganda)
Recent Electoral Results:
Presidential election of 2010
Presidential candidate Running mate 1st Round October 3 2nd Round October 31
Popular vote
Absolute Percentage Absolute Percentage
Dilma Rousseff (PT) Michel Temer (PMDB) 47,651,434 46.91% 55,752,529 56.05%
José Serra (PSDB) Indio da Costa (DEM) 33,132,283 32.61% 43,711,388 43.95%
Marina Silva (PV) Guilherme Leal (PV) 19,636,359 19.33%
Plínio de Arruda Sampaio(PSOL) Hamilton Assis (PSOL) 886,816 0.87%
José Maria Eymael (PSDC) José Paulo da Silva Neto (PSDC) 89,350 0.09%
José Maria de Almeida (PSTU) Cláudia Durans (PSTU) 84,609 0.08%
Levy Fidélix (PRTB) Luiz Eduardo Ayres Duarte (PRTB) 57,960 0.06%
Ivan Pinheiro (PCB) Edmilson Costa (PCB) 39,136 0.04%
Rui Costa Pimenta (PCO) Edson Dorta Silva (PCO) 12,206 0.01%
Valid votes 101,590,153 91.36% 99,463,917 93.30%
→ Blank votes 3,479,340 3.13% 2,452,597 2.30%
→ Null votes 6,124,254 5.51% 4,689,428 4.40%
Total votes 111,193,747 81.88% 106,606,214 78.50%
→ Abstention 24,610,296 18.12% 29,197,152 21.50%
Electorate 135,804,433 100.00% 135,804,433 100.00%
Parliamentary election
Summary of the 3 October 2010 National Congress election results
Parties Chamber Senate
Seats % of seats +/– Elected seats Total seats % of seats +/–
PT 88 17.1 +5 12 15 18.5 +7
PMDB 79 15.3 −10 16 20 24.6 +3
PR 41 7.9 +16 3 4 4.9 --
PSB 34 6.6 +7 3 3 3.7 --
PDT 28 5.4 +4 2 4 4.9 −2
PSC 17 3.3 +8 1 1 1.2 --
PCdoB 15 2.9 +2 1 2 2.4 +1
PRB 8 1.5 +7 1 1 1.2 −1
PTC 1 0.1 −2 0 0 0.0 --
PTN 0 0.0 — 0 0 0.0 --
Total 311 60.6 +37 39 50 61.7 +8
Opposition
Centre-right
PSDB 53 10.3 −13 5 11 13.5 −5
DEM 43 8.3 −22 2 6 7.4 −7
PTB 21 4.0 −2 1 6 7.4 −1
PPS 12 2.3 −10 1 1 1.2 +1
PMN 4 0.7 +1 1 1 1.2 +1
PTdoB 3 0.5 +2 0 0 0.0 --
Total 136 26.5 –44 10 25 30.8 –11
* brazil has tried several different election systems
* constitution of 1988 reestablished October 3 (ninety days before the inauguration of executive-branch elected officials) for the first round of voting, and November 15 for runoff elections when needed
* four types of majority elections: the president, governors, and mayors are elected by absolute majorities; senators, by simple majorities
* elections for president, governors, and mayors of cities with more than 200,000 voters, a runoff is required between the top two candidates if no one receives an absolute majority in the first round (50 percent plus at least one vote)
* president, governors, and mayors have their respective vice president, vice governors, and vice mayors = all elected on unified slates
* open-list d'Hondt proportional representation system to elect federal and state deputies and city council members
* coalitions are very important for proportional representation elections
- proportional representation campaigns are so individualized (many candidates never mention their party label in their propaganda)
Recent Electoral Results:
Presidential election of 2010
Presidential candidate Running mate 1st Round October 3 2nd Round October 31
Popular vote
Absolute Percentage Absolute Percentage
Dilma Rousseff (PT) Michel Temer (PMDB) 47,651,434 46.91% 55,752,529 56.05%
José Serra (PSDB) Indio da Costa (DEM) 33,132,283 32.61% 43,711,388 43.95%
Marina Silva (PV) Guilherme Leal (PV) 19,636,359 19.33%
Plínio de Arruda Sampaio(PSOL) Hamilton Assis (PSOL) 886,816 0.87%
José Maria Eymael (PSDC) José Paulo da Silva Neto (PSDC) 89,350 0.09%
José Maria de Almeida (PSTU) Cláudia Durans (PSTU) 84,609 0.08%
Levy Fidélix (PRTB) Luiz Eduardo Ayres Duarte (PRTB) 57,960 0.06%
Ivan Pinheiro (PCB) Edmilson Costa (PCB) 39,136 0.04%
Rui Costa Pimenta (PCO) Edson Dorta Silva (PCO) 12,206 0.01%
Valid votes 101,590,153 91.36% 99,463,917 93.30%
→ Blank votes 3,479,340 3.13% 2,452,597 2.30%
→ Null votes 6,124,254 5.51% 4,689,428 4.40%
Total votes 111,193,747 81.88% 106,606,214 78.50%
→ Abstention 24,610,296 18.12% 29,197,152 21.50%
Electorate 135,804,433 100.00% 135,804,433 100.00%
Parliamentary election
Summary of the 3 October 2010 National Congress election results
Parties Chamber Senate
Seats % of seats +/– Elected seats Total seats % of seats +/–
PT 88 17.1 +5 12 15 18.5 +7
PMDB 79 15.3 −10 16 20 24.6 +3
PR 41 7.9 +16 3 4 4.9 --
PSB 34 6.6 +7 3 3 3.7 --
PDT 28 5.4 +4 2 4 4.9 −2
PSC 17 3.3 +8 1 1 1.2 --
PCdoB 15 2.9 +2 1 2 2.4 +1
PRB 8 1.5 +7 1 1 1.2 −1
PTC 1 0.1 −2 0 0 0.0 --
PTN 0 0.0 — 0 0 0.0 --
Total 311 60.6 +37 39 50 61.7 +8
Opposition
Centre-right
PSDB 53 10.3 −13 5 11 13.5 −5
DEM 43 8.3 −22 2 6 7.4 −7
PTB 21 4.0 −2 1 6 7.4 −1
PPS 12 2.3 −10 1 1 1.2 +1
PMN 4 0.7 +1 1 1 1.2 +1
PTdoB 3 0.5 +2 0 0 0.0 --
Total 136 26.5 –44 10 25 30.8 –11