teleSUR English
Brazilian voters abroad, in 2026, will play a larger role in the country’s presidential election than ever before. Nearly a million Brazilian citizens are registered to vote outside of Brazil on October 4.
According to Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE), a total of 918,876 voters, living in 134 countries, are eligible to cast ballots in the first round of the presidential election.
Soccer fans wave a Brazil flag as they walk across the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn on June 13, 2026, in New York City. (Ira L. Black - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
If a second round is required, it will take place on October 25.
The overseas electorate represents slightly more than 0.5% peof Brazil’s nearly 160 million registered voters.
Although the figure represents a small share of the national electorate, it is the largest number of Brazilians registered to vote outside the country, ever.
The number of Brazilian voters abroad has increased steadily over the past 16 years. In 2010, approximately 210,000 people were registered outside Brazil.
That figure rose to around 354,000 in 2014, roughly 500,000 in 2018, and nearly 700,000 in 2022.
Between 2010 and 2026, the overseas electorate increased by more than 350%.
The growth reflects the expansion of the Brazilian diaspora, improved voter registration, and the increasing ability of citizens living overseas to maintain political ties with their country.
It also reflects the importance of electronic voting and consular registration in enabling citizens abroad to participate.
Under Brazilian electoral law, voters whose electoral domicile is registered outside the country can vote only for president and vice president.
They cannot vote for governors, senators, federal deputies, state legislators, or mayors from abroad.
The TSE has established polling stations in 186 cities across 134 countries. Voting facilities will be located in Brazilian embassies, consulates, schools, hotels, and other authorized locations.
Brazilian voters abroad in 2026 will use electronic voting machines at most of the designated polling stations.
The Superior Electoral Court says the arrangement is intended to provide secure and accessible voting for citizens living far from Brazil.
The largest concentration of Brazilian voters abroad is in the United States, which has approximately 265,400 registered voters.
Portugal follows with around 134,700. Japan has approximately 88,300.
Canada has roughly 46,400 registered voters, followed by Germany with around 41,500.
Together, those five countries account for a significant portion of the overseas electorate.
The geographic distribution reflects historical migration patterns, employment opportunities, family ties, and the presence of large Brazilian communities.
The United States has hosted the largest number of registered Brazilian voters abroad throughout the period covered by figures from the electoral court.
Portugal’s position reflects historical, linguistic, and cultural connections, as well as the movement of Brazilian workers, students, and families to the country.
Japan’s position is linked to the Brazilian-Japanese community, including descendants of Japanese immigrants who have moved between both countries.
Brazilian Voters Abroad in 2026: Profile and Voting Rules
The profile of Brazilian voters abroad in 2026 is predominantly female and relatively highly educated.
Women represent approximately 57% of the registered overseas electorate. Men account for 43%.
Single voters represent 52% of the total. Married voters account for 42%. Divorced voters for 6%, and widowed voters for approximately 1%
The electoral register also includes 6,614 voters with disabilities.
The figures offer a demographic snapshot of Brazilians living outside the country, although it does not capture all Brazilians abroad.
Only citizens who transferred their electoral domicile to an overseas location are included in the foreign voter register.
Some Brazilians may live abroad temporarily while maintaining their electoral domicile in a municipality inside Brazil. Those voters remain subject to the rules applying to domestic voters.
The educational profile shows that 38% of registered voters abroad have completed higher education.
Another 29% have completed secondary education.
The data suggests that the overseas electorate includes a substantial proportion of voters with university degrees or other advanced qualifications.
The largest age group is between 40 and 44 years old, followed by voters aged 45 to 49 and those between 35 and 39.
The profile indicates that many overseas voters are working-age adults with long-term professional, family, or educational ties outside Brazil.
The Superior Electoral Court has reminded voters that participation is mandatory for citizens between 18 and 70 years old, including those whose electoral domicile is registered abroad.
The Superior Electoral Court says voting will be administered through Brazil’s electoral justice system in coordination with the Foreign Ministry and diplomatic missions.
The use of electronic voting machines is intended to speed up voting and reduce counting errors.
Votes cast abroad will be counted and transmitted to Brazil, where they will be incorporated into the national presidential result.
Because overseas voters can vote only for president and vice president, their ballots are counted separately from legislative contests.
The overseas vote may be small in national percentage terms, but it can be politically relevant in a close election.
Brazil’s presidential contest is expected to be competitive, and campaigns have increasingly targeted voters living in the United States, Portugal, Japan, Canada, and Europe.
This is an excerpt of an article originally published by teleSUR English. It has been edited lightly for readability. You can read the original, here.