Voter Registration

According to the Federal Constitution of 1988, optionally at 16 and obligatorily at 18, native and naturalized Brazilians must enroll in the Electoral Court in order to obtain the voter registration card. The document serves to prove that the citizen is registered in a certain electoral zone.

However, he/she will only be able to vote in general and municipal elections, plebiscites, referendums, as well as subscribe to popular initiative bills, if his/her registration is not canceled or suspended.

Brazilians living abroad must also fulfill their electoral obligations.

Enlistment must be made up to 151 days before the election date. To enlist, the citizen must go to the electoral registry and present an official identification document - such as identity card, employment card, military service discharge certificate (for men), professional card recognized by law (OAB, CRM, Crea, etc.) – and proof of residence (such as water, electricity, telephone bills). The information contained in these documents will form part of the electoral register.

In the electoral register, registration information and the voter's situation are stored, in addition to information on attendance at the polls, electoral justification, and work at polling stations. There is also information about debts to the Electoral Court, political party affiliation, etc.

Some voter registration data are confidential (membership, address, telephone, date of birth, biometric data, among others) and must be updated whenever necessary, such as in cases where the voter must change personal data, register biometrically, request transfer, etc. The inspection of these data is carried out by the General Internal Affairs Unit for Electoral Justice, at the national level, and by the regional electoral authorities, in their respective districts.