Bolsonaro allows deployment of Armed Forces during elections

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro signed a decree published today (Aug 12) authorizing the deployment of the Armed Forces in this year’s elections in efforts to protect voting and counting.

Where and when the agents will be engaged should be defined by the country’s top electoral court TSE.

The first round of elections is slated to take place on October 2, with the second on October 30. The race aims to fill the posts of president, state governors, senators, as well as federal, state, and district representatives.

The election will be held simultaneously in all 5,570 Brazilian municipalities, from 8am to 5pm Brasília time. Due to the difference in time zones in some states and locations, voting may start and end earlier or later. There are also 181 polling stations abroad, where 697,078 voters are eligible to cast their ballots.

The electorate for this year’s elections totals 156,454,011.