STF Order Extended Voting Two Hours and Triggered Disputed, Uneven Implementation

Overview

• A single‑judge ruling by Supreme Court minister Cristiano Zanin ordered voting extended to 19:00 on Sunday, October 25, and the Tribunal Superior Eleitoral paused totalization while the measure was applied.
• Analyses of electronic ballot‑box logs from multiple research teams show roughly 34,000–35,500 votes were recorded after 17:00, a total concentrated in the first minutes after closing and far smaller than Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s roughly 4.4 million‑vote margin.
• Implementation was uneven: some polling stations reopened or unlocked gates, many already‑closed machines were not reactivated, and regional tribunals issued different responses, producing complaints about unequal treatment of voters.
• The Bolsonaro campaign has filed legal challenges arguing the late extension violated the Electoral Code and changed rules during voting, but legal experts and several magistrates say overturning the result would require proof of concrete, widespread prejudice and thus faces high hurdles.
• The episode has increased calls for collegial review of emergency election rulings and scrutiny of procedures because of concerns about institutional roles, the appearance of partiality tied to Zanin’s prior work for Lula, and the need to restore public confidence.