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Mapa do Segundo Turno
Mapa do Segundo Turno

39/ 47Abstention

Someone you know did not vote. There is still time.

In the first round, 33.5 million voters did not turn out[1], the highest abstention rate in the first round of a general election since 1998[2]. Anyone who missed it can vote in the runoff[3], on 25 October[4], and you can help.

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million voters did not turn out in the first round, 21.08% of the total
33.5
million votes separated Flávio and Lula in the first round
2.2
Runoff: voting from 8 am to 5 pm, Brasília time
25/10
Sources: Congresso em Foco[1], Poder360[5], Agência Brasil[4] and TSE Res. 23.759/2026[6].

How to help

  1. 01

    Contact the person before the 25th.

    Think of someone you know who did not vote: a relative, neighbor or colleague. Call, send a message or visit this week. The conversation must happen before the 25th: recruiting voters on election day is a crime[7].

  2. 02

    Ask why and listen.

    No scolding or lectures. Ask what happened on the 4th and listen to the end. The reason may be practical: money, ID, work, distance or health.

  3. 03

    Address that reason.

    There is a specific answer for each reason in the list below. Give accurate information and, if necessary, check the e-Título app or the TSE website together.

  4. 04

    Plan the day together.

    Agree on the polling place, photo ID, bus route and departure time. Voting runs from 8 am to 5 pm, Brasília time[6]; in other time zones, check the local time. By the 25th, the conversation is over.

  5. 05

    Help without conditions.

    The help is for the person to vote for whomever they choose. Offering any benefit to obtain a vote is a crime, even if the offer is refused[8].

An answer for every reason

  • If the person says“I missed the first round, so I can no longer vote.”

    What to doYou can. Each round is a separate election: anyone who missed the first can vote in the second, provided their voter registration has not been cancelled or suspended[3]. The absence on the 4th can be justified through e-Título until December 3[6].

  • If the person says“I cannot afford the bus fare.”

    What to doOn the 25th, public authorities must provide free urban and intercity buses, including metropolitan services, at weekday frequency[6]. Details vary by city: check the official municipal or state channel together[4].

  • If the person says“I do not know where I vote.”

    What to doCheck the e-Título app or the TSE and state TRE websites[6]. Look it up together, write down the address and polling station number, and see which bus stops nearby.

  • If the person says“I lost my voter card and have no ID.”

    What to doAn official photo ID is accepted, including digital versions: e-Título with a photo, identity card, passport, CNH driving license, employment record booklet, military reservist card or professional ID, even if expired, provided the person can be recognized. Birth or marriage certificates and the digital employment record are not accepted[6].

  • If the person says“I will be working on Sunday.”

    What to doAnyone working on election day has the right to take the time needed to vote[6], and preventing or obstructing voting is a crime[8]. Agree on the best time beforehand, between 8 am and 5 pm Brasília time.

  • If the person says“I have difficulty walking.”

    What to doPeople aged 60 or over, people with disabilities or reduced mobility, and their companions have priority in the queue[6]. In the booth, anyone with a disability or reduced mobility may bring someone of their choice to help, without a prior request, provided that person is not working for a party[6].

  • If the person says“I moved to another city and vote far away.”

    What to doThe deadline to apply to vote away from your registered polling place passed on August 20[6]. Anyone away from home must vote where they are registered or justify their absence by January 8 through e-Título, with evidence of the reason. Missing three consecutive elections without voting, justifying the absence or paying the fine cancels voter registration, and each round counts as one[6].

  • If the person says“I am over 70, so I do not have to vote.”

    What to doYou do not have to, but you can: voting is optional for people over 70, people who cannot read or write, and those aged 16 or 17[6]. People over 80 have priority over everyone in the queue[6].

  • If the person says“It makes no difference; they are all the same.”

    What to doDo not argue. Listen without rushing. If the person wants to compare, the Mapa has a page for each topic, with sources. The decision to vote, and for whom, is theirs.

Giving lifts

Lifts are for family only

From 24 to October 26, from the day before the election to the day after, no vehicle may transport voters, with exceptions[9]. One exception: car owners may use their cars for themselves and their families to vote[10].

The law also prohibits anyone from providing transport or meals to voters in urban areas. The penalty is four to six years in prison[9]. So do not organize lifts, charter buses, or pay anyone's fare, ride, fuel or food.

For anyone outside the family, the option is the free bus on the 25th[6]. Taxis and ride-hailing services operate normally, without an electoral purpose[10]: the person books and pays, as on any other day.

Free transport

The bus is not enough

Under an STF ruling, providing free public transport on polling day is a duty of public authorities[6]. An Ipea study of 2022 found that free transport improved access to polling places but did not increase turnout on its own[11].

Mobility at bus stops rose by 13.7%, but those who used the benefit had already decided to vote[11]. The bus is there; for someone who has not yet decided to go, something else is missing: someone to let them know, explain the route and help address the reason they missed voting. That someone could be you.

The numbers

Every vote counts

In the first round, 33.5 million voters did not turn out, 21.08% of the electorate[1]. Flávio received 47.03% and Lula 45.16%: a gap of 2.2 million votes[5].

Nobody knows whom the absent voters would have supported, and it is not for us to guess. What the numbers show is scale: there are more than 15 absent voters for every vote in the gap. On the 25th, every vote counts.

Start with your own: check your polling place and go and vote. Then help someone you know do the same.

Within the law

Helping without committing a crime

  • Do not attach conditions to help. Help regardless of whom the person votes for. Giving, offering or promising a benefit to obtain a vote is a crime, even if the offer is refused[8].
  • Lifts are for family only. In your car, from 24 to October 26, only you and your family, to vote[9].
  • Do not pay for transport or food. No fares, rides, fuel or meals. The law prohibits anyone from providing transport or meals to voters in urban areas[9].
  • Do not organize transport. No arranged lifts or chartered buses. Apart from family cars, regular bus services and taxis and ride-hailing services operating normally may carry voters[10].
  • Do not approach anyone on the 25th. Arrange everything by the 24th. On election day, recruiting voters and campaigning around polling places are crimes[7].

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References11 sources

  1. 01Congresso em Foco · Saldo das urnas: Abstenções, nulos e brancos na eleição de 2026First round of 2026: 33.5 million did not vote (21.08% of the electorate).(opens in a new tab)
  2. 02Agência Brasil · TSE vai trabalhar para diminuir a abstenção no segundo turnoThe first-round abstention rate of 21.08% is the highest since 1998.(opens in a new tab)
  3. 03TSE · Faltam 18 dias: ausência no 1º turno não impede voto no 2ºEach round is a separate election: anyone who did not vote in the first can vote in the second, provided their voter registration has not been cancelled or suspended.(opens in a new tab)
  4. 04Agência Brasil · Transporte público de graça no dia da eleição: veja como irá funcionarFree transport also applies to the runoff on October 25; details vary by state and municipality.(opens in a new tab)
  5. 05Poder360 · Bolsonarismo vira a diferença sobre Lula em relação a 2022First round, 100% counted: Flávio 47.03% (56,104,503 votes), Lula 45.16% (53,879,538); a gap of 2,224,965 votes.(opens in a new tab)
  6. 06TSE · Resolução nº 23.759, de 2 de março de 2026Voter rules: arts. 11 (optional voting), 14 and 29 (hours and priority), 16 (documents), 31 (assistance in the booth), 38 (voting away from one's registered polling place), 41 (polling place), 54 (justification), 57 (cancellation), 60 (work) and 88 (free transport, ADPF 1.013).(opens in a new tab)
  7. 07Planalto · Lei nº 9.504, de 30 de setembro de 1997Art. 39, § 5º, II: on election day, recruiting voters and campaigning around polling places are crimes.(opens in a new tab)
  8. 08Planalto · Lei nº 4.737, de 15 de julho de 1965 (Código Eleitoral)Art. 299 (benefit to obtain a vote, even if the offer is not accepted); arts. 234 and 297 (preventing or obstructing voting).(opens in a new tab)
  9. 09Planalto · Lei nº 6.091, de 15 de agosto de 1974Art. 5º (transporting voters prohibited from the day before to the day after the election, except the owner and their family), art. 10 and art. 11, III (four to six years in prison).(opens in a new tab)
  10. 10TSE · Transporte de eleitores: saiba o que é permitido e o que é proibidoCar owners may take their own families to vote; taxis and ride-hailing services operate without an electoral purpose; transport for an electoral purpose is prohibited.(opens in a new tab)
  11. 11Agência Brasil · Transporte gratuito não eleva participação nas urnas, aponta IpeaIn 2022, free transport improved access but did not increase turnout on its own; mobility rose by 13.7%, among people who already intended to vote.(opens in a new tab)