# What valid votes are, and why blank and null votes do not count

Valid votes are votes cast for a candidate or, in proportional races, for a party list. Blank votes and null votes are not valid: they go to no one and are left out of the percentages. In the first round of 2026, there were 119,300,788 valid votes in Brazil.

Updated 2026-10-25 · Source: Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (https://resultados.tse.jus.br) · https://eleicoes2026brasil.com/en/guias/votos-validos-brancos-e-nulos

## What are valid votes?

Valid votes are the votes that choose a candidate or, in proportional races, a party by its list number, which is the party-line vote. These are the votes that decide who is elected, and they are the base for each candidate's percentages published by the Electoral Justice system.

In the first round of 2026, in Brazil, there were 119,300,788 valid votes. That total is the base for the percentages in the presidential race, in which Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) received 47.03% and Lula (PT) 45.16%.

## Why do blank and null votes not count?

A blank vote is one in which the voter does not choose any candidate. A null vote is one that does not match any candidate or party, such as a number that does not exist on the machine. Neither goes to a candidate or party, so neither enters the calculation of who is elected.

In the first round of 2026, there were 2,300,798 blank votes and 3,674,249 null votes. These figures appear separately and are not part of the base for candidates' percentages.

## Can blank and null votes void an election?

No. Blank and null votes cannot void an election. They are not valid votes and, as a result, they give no advantage to any candidate and take none away.

Anyone who decides to vote blank or null should know that the vote is not valid and is not counted for any candidate. The rule applies in the same way to every office.

## How do valid votes appear in the results?

In Brazil Election 2026 results, each candidate's percentage is calculated on valid votes, not on all the votes that reached the machine. Blank and null votes are shown separately.

In the first round, for example, the presidential page showed Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) with 56,104,503 votes, equal to 47.03% of valid votes. The full page is at https://eleicoes2026brasil.com/.

| Type of vote | Count |
| --- | --- |
| Valid votes | 119,300,788 |
| Blank votes | 2,300,798 |
| Null votes | 3,674,249 |

## Why do percentages use only valid votes?

Each candidate's percentage shows its share of the votes cast for candidates or parties. Blank and null votes do not express a choice for a candidate, so they are left out of that calculation.

This method is the same one used in the first and the second round. For the official rule, see the Federal Constitution and the TSE portal.

## How do you read a candidate's percentage?

To read a candidate's percentage, divide that candidate's votes by the total valid votes in the same race and multiply by one hundred. This is the figure that appears as the percentage of valid votes in the tables of Brazil Election 2026 and the TSE.

In the first round of 2026, Lula (PT) received 53,879,538 votes and 45.16% of valid votes. The calculation uses 119,300,788 valid votes as its base, and blank and null votes are left out of that denominator.

## Sources

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

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

## Frequently asked questions

### Does a blank vote count as a valid vote?

No. A blank vote is not valid, does not go to any candidate or party, and is not part of the calculation of the election percentages.

### Can a null vote void the election?

No. Null votes do not void elections. They are not valid and do not count for any candidate.

### How many valid votes were there in the 2026 first round?

In the first round of 2026, in Brazil, there were 119,300,788 valid votes. There were also 2,300,798 blank votes and 3,674,249 null votes.

### Why do percentages use valid votes instead of the total?

Because each candidate's percentage shows its share of the votes cast for candidates or parties. Blank and null votes do not express a choice for a candidate, so they are left out of that calculation.

### Can a blank or null vote change a candidate's win?

No. Blank and null votes are not added to any candidate, so they do not change the gap between them. They appear only separately in the election totals.

## Also read

- [Why does a winner need more than half of the valid votes?](https://eleicoes2026brasil.com/en/guias/maioria-absoluta-50-mais-1)
- [O que é voto branco e para onde ele vai? (in Portuguese)](https://eleicoes2026brasil.com/guias/o-que-e-voto-branco)
- [O que é voto nulo e ele pode anular uma eleição? (in Portuguese)](https://eleicoes2026brasil.com/guias/o-que-e-voto-nulo)
- [Como votar em branco ou nulo, e o que acontece? (in Portuguese)](https://eleicoes2026brasil.com/guias/como-votar-branco-ou-nulo)

## How the election works

- [How are senators elected in 2026?](https://eleicoes2026brasil.com/en/guias/como-se-elegem-senadores-2026)
- [How does the proportional system work for deputies?](https://eleicoes2026brasil.com/en/guias/sistema-proporcional-deputados)
- [How does the TSE tally the votes?](https://eleicoes2026brasil.com/en/guias/como-funciona-a-totalizacao)
- [How is a governor elected in Brazil?](https://eleicoes2026brasil.com/en/guias/como-se-elege-governador)
- [How is the electronic voting machine audited and tested?](https://eleicoes2026brasil.com/en/guias/seguranca-da-urna-eletronica)
- [What does the share of polling stations counted mean?](https://eleicoes2026brasil.com/en/guias/secoes-totalizadas-o-que-significa)

## Results

- [President](https://eleicoes2026brasil.com/en)
- [First round](https://eleicoes2026brasil.com/en/primeiro-turno)
- [Runoff](https://eleicoes2026brasil.com/en/segundo-turno)
- [All guides](https://eleicoes2026brasil.com/en/guias)