Brazil’s electoral court has urged voters to check their polling locations before the October 25 runoff, but reports citing different TSE figures have put the scale of the changes—and the adequacy of public notification—at the center of the debate.

One account reported that 4,352 electoral sections, or 0.87% of the national total, had been moved. It described the shifts as practical measures linked to last-minute building work, accessibility improvements and damage caused by heavy rain and wind. São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Bahia accounted for the largest numbers of altered sections. The court advised voters to verify their addresses through the e-Título app or its online self-service portal.¹

A separate report put the changes at roughly 592,000 voters across 2,033 sections—0.39% of all sections—and said local electoral offices could still update the address list. It likewise cited weather damage and renovations, while stressing the TSE’s position that decisions are made locally rather than centrally. In the court’s view, moving voting to another building “does not mean a reduction of electoral sections nor harm to voters.”²

Lula da Silva’s coalition has pressed for more direct notification, arguing that insufficient communication could discourage participation, particularly among older voters and people in areas with limited internet access. The request followed first-round abstention of 21.08%, according to the report. Its concern is not that every transfer is improper, but that voters may discover a changed address too late to reach the polls.²

Both accounts point to the same official tools for checking locations. The difference is emphasis: election authorities portray the changes as contained operational adjustments, while the coalition argues that even a limited disruption can matter when turnout is at stake.