Overview
- STF minister Cristiano Zanin clarified that the court-ordered two-hour extension applies only to polling sections that had not been closed at the official 17:00 hour and that votes from sections already closed must be counted normally.
- TSE president Kassio Nunes Marques sent an ofício instructing presidents of the regional electoral courts (TREs) to keep sections that were still open in operation until 19:00 to implement the extension.
- The judicial step followed requests from both presidential campaigns: Lula’s team cited transportation disruptions and the PL asked for extra time in places hit by heavy rain.
- Electoral officials told the STF that some ballot boxes had already been closed at 17:00, which is why the extension’s practical effect is limited to stations that were still receiving voters when the order arrived.
- TREs must now carry out the order and election authorities may open investigations and legal reviews into reported irregularities, a process that could affect how final totals are compiled in contested locations.