When an election goes to a runoff

What is the rule for a runoff?

A runoff is held when no presidential or governor candidate wins more than half of the valid votes. Blank and null votes are not counted in this calculation. Because the rule applies to the votes in each state, the same election can have a governor runoff in one state but not in another.

When there is a runoff, only the two candidates with the most votes stay in the race. The first and second rounds are independent elections, and each has its own vote count.

In practice, the calculation is made race by race, after the first-round count. The official results published by the TSE, Brazil's Superior Electoral Court, show who placed first and second in each unit, and that result determines who advances to the runoff.

Which offices have a runoff?

Only president and governor can go to a runoff. The Senate, the Chamber of Deputies and the state legislative assemblies do not have runoffs: the winners are decided in the first round. The table summarizes each office.

Outside Brazil, voters cast a ballot only for president, in either round.

Who goes to the runoff in 2026?

For president, Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) and Lula (PT) are in the runoff. In the first round, Flávio Bolsonaro won 47.03% of the valid votes and Lula won 45.16%.

For governor, six states have a runoff: Acre, Amazonas, Federal District, Espírito Santo, Rio Grande do Norte and Tocantins. In the other states, the governor was already elected in the first round. The names in each race are listed at https://eleicoes2026brasil.com/segundo-turno.

Who competes in each runoff is set by the first-round result in each unit. The official names for each race are published on the TSE portal, at https://www.tse.jus.br.

How does voting work in the runoff?

Voting takes place on October 25, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Brasília time. All eligible voters may vote, including those who did not vote in the first round.

The voting machine shows only the offices still contested. Anyone who cannot vote must justify their absence from the runoff, on Election Day or within 60 days afterward.

On the machine, the voter chooses only among the candidates who reached the runoff, without the other names from the first round. Blank and null votes follow the same logic as in the first round and do not count for any candidate.

Can someone who did not vote in the first round vote in the runoff?

Yes. Someone who did not vote in the first round is still eligible to vote in the runoff, because each round is an independent election. Missing the first round does not prevent participation in the second.

Justification is separate for each round. Someone who missed the first round and cannot vote in the runoff must justify each absence, through the e-Título app on Election Day or within 60 days after each round.

Sources

Federal Constitution: https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/constituicao/constituicao.htm

Superior Electoral Court: https://www.tse.jus.br