Overview
- Cristiano Zanin of the Supreme Court issued a monocratic order on Oct. 25, 2026 that extended voting nationwide until 7 p.m., and the TSE paused its vote totalization between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. before resuming reporting after the extended deadline.
- Regional electoral courts reported many electronic polling machines had already been closed when the order arrived, prompting Zanin to narrow the measure so it applied only to polling places that remained open.
- The PT coalition first asked the TSE to extend voting in three Bahian cities because of alleged transport failures, then filed at the STF and broadened the request to cover the whole country after the TSE did not rule in time.
- Technical and legal experts warned closed electronic urnas cannot be reopened, and they flagged Article 220 of the Electoral Code and the unequal opportunity to vote as grounds that could fuel post‑vote litigation or annulment claims.
- The episode sharply intensified institutional tensions between the STF and TSE, drew strong condemnations and impeachment threats from PL allies, and prompted wide international coverage that highlighted operational confusion and legal uncertainty.