Mandatory Voting, No Selfies and Other Election Day Rules

Brazilians went to the polls on Sunday for the first round of the 2026 general elections. And if you think voting is complicated in the US, Brazil has a few rules that might surprise you.

For starters, voting is mandatory for most Brazilian citizens ages 18 to 70. It’s optional for 16- and 17-year-olds, people over 70, and anyone who is illiterate. If you’re required to vote and don’t show up, you must justify your absence or pay a fine.

Then there’s the ballot itself. Brazilian voters don’t fill in circles by hand. They vote electronically, entering candidate numbers into a voting machine. This year, voters had six choices: federal deputy, state or district deputy, two senators, governor, and president.

There are also some fairly strict Election Day rules. Political shirts, buttons, flags, and stickers are allowed, but only as a silent, individual expression of support. Groups of voters are prohibited from wearing coordinated campaign clothing or otherwise trying to influence voters.

And don’t plan on taking a voting booth selfie. Voters must leave cell phones, cameras, and other recording devices with election workers before entering the voting booth. Brazil takes the secrecy of the vote very seriously.

Perhaps the strangest rule involves arrests. Beginning five days before the election and continuing for 48 hours after the polls close, voters generally can’t be arrested except in limited circumstances, such as being caught in the act of committing a crime.

Brazil has rules for just about every part of Election Day. Apparently, even democracy needs a little bureaucracy.