45,000 Bolivians in Brazil eligible to vote for president

In the run-up to the general elections in Bolivia on Sunday (Oct 12), Bolivians are gearing up to choose their next president and vice-president, their senators, and national deputies.

According to the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE), the Bolivian agency in charge of the elections, 45,000 Bolivians living in Brazil are eligible to vote. Like in Brazil, voting is compulsory for Bolivians aged 18 and above. The exception under Bolivian law is for those living abroad, who are not required to vote. But for those expatriates who do choose to go to the polls – 32,000 estimated by Bolivia's TSE – the only available vote is for president.

In São Paulo metropolitan area alone, more than 35,700 will be able to vote in any of a total 13 polling stations. There will also be polling stations in the cities of Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, and some municipalities in the border with Bolivia: Corumbá (Mato Grosso do Sul), Cáceres (Mato Grosso), Brasileia (Acre), and Guajará-Mirim (Rondônia).

Translated by Mayra Borges

*With additional reporting by Danilo Macedo