Supreme Court Justice Cármen Lúcia. File photo. (Photo: Fernando Frazão, Agência Brasil, CC BY 3.0 BR, via Wikimedia Commons)

BRAZIL · ELECTIONS

Published Sunday, 25 October, 2:35 p.m. ET · Source: Folha de S.Paulo, Jovem Pan, O Tempo

Brazil’s top electoral judge admitted on Sunday 25 October that some voters are struggling to reach polling stations during the Brazil election 2026. Kassio Nunes Marques, president of the electoral court (TSE), said the problem was “already being corrected”, Folha de S.Paulo, a leading Brazilian daily, reported at 2:35 p.m. ET.

The sharpest complaints come from Bahia, a north-eastern state where voters report missing buses. For readers in the US, the story matters because turnout in Bahia, a stronghold of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, could shape a result that moves Brazilian markets and Washington’s relations with Brasília; see the Brazil election odds for current prices.

What the Electoral Court President Said

Nunes Marques spoke to reporters at the TSE headquarters in Brasília on Sunday. He said transport programmes are run by the regional electoral courts (TREs) and are “going very well” in general, Folha reported.

Asked about Bahia, he said the TSE receives periodic reports from the state court and that “any and all action will be analysed in due time”. Asked by O Tempo about extending voting hours, he replied that the law decides who is competent to oversee voter transport.

He also pointed to “Seu Voto Importa” (Your Vote Matters), a TSE programme that offers free transport to people with disabilities, quilombola communities (descendants of escaped slaves), Indigenous people and riverside communities.

Bus Cuts in Salvador, Bahia

Ricardo Villas Bôas Cueva, the TSE’s inspector-general of electoral justice, ordered the Bahia court to report on alleged bus cuts in Salvador, Feira de Santana and Lauro de Freitas. Jovem Pan, a Brazilian broadcaster, reported that a complaint from Lula’s Brasil da Esperança federation (his Workers’ Party and two smaller allies) alleged a reduction of more than 50% in bus supply in the capital, Salvador.

The president of the Bahia electoral court (TRE-BA), Judge Mauricio Kertzman Szporer, ordered the Federal Police, Brazil’s national law-enforcement agency, to arrest Salvador’s mobility secretary, Pablo Souza, Jovem Pan reported. He also ordered the full fleet back on the road, with a fine of R$1 million (about US$200,000, at 4.97 reais per dollar) per hour for non-compliance.

Reports differ on how many buses were held in garages: Jovem Pan counted 217 in two garages, while O Tempo, a newspaper from Minas Gerais state, reported about 375. Salvador City Hall said Souza is in Paris on an official mission and will present himself to police on Monday 26 October, Jovem Pan reported.

Lula Campaign Seeks More Voting Time

O Tempo reported that the Brasil da Esperança federation asked for voting to run until 7 p.m. local time (6 p.m. ET) in the three affected cities. Polls normally close at 5 p.m. in Brasília time (4 p.m. ET), and our earlier report on the Lula campaign request has the background.

No ruling on that request had been published at the time of writing. Nunes Marques declined to say whether the TSE would extend voting hours.

What It Means for US Readers

A court-ordered fleet restoration shows Brazil’s institutions acting on election day, which supports confidence in the count. A disputed result or a challenge over turnout in Bahia would be a different matter, and investors in Brazilian stocks and the real would price that risk.

Follow our Brazil elections coverage page for official TSE results from 5 p.m. local time. Official numbers, not prediction-market prices, decide the winner.

What Is Not Known

It is not known whether voting hours will be extended in Salvador, or whether the arrest order will be carried out. The number of voters who could not reach their polling station has not been published by the TSE.

Reports also differ on the number of buses held. We will update this report when the electoral courts publish figures.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Brazil’s electoral court president say about transport?

Kassio Nunes Marques said on Sunday 25 October that some places still have transport difficulties that are being corrected. He said the programme is going well overall.

Where are voters struggling to reach polling stations?

Reports centre on Salvador, Feira de Santana and Lauro de Freitas in Bahia state. The TSE asked the Bahia electoral court for a report.

What did the Bahia electoral court order?

Its president ordered the full bus fleet back and set a fine of R$1 million (about US$200,000) per hour. He also ordered the arrest of Salvador’s mobility secretary, according to Jovem Pan.

Will voting hours in Salvador be extended?

Not decided as of 2:35 p.m. ET. Lula’s federation asked for voting until 7 p.m. local time, and Nunes Marques did not answer the question.

When do polls close in Brazil?

Polls close at 5 p.m. in Brasília time on Sunday 25 October, which is 4 p.m. ET. Results follow that evening.

Sources: Folha de S.Paulo, 25 October 2026; Jovem Pan, 25 October 2026; O Tempo, 25 October 2026.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief