Presidential elections in Brazil Last updated September 04, 2025
Direct presidential elections are held in Brazil as part of the general elections every four years (which has been regular since 1994), typically in October. The current electoral law provides for a two-round system in which a candidate must receive more than 50% of the vote to win in the first round; if no candidate passes the 50% threshold, a run-off is held between the top two candidates. [ 1] Every candidate has a running mate who disputes the post of vice-president ; prior to 1966, the vice-president was elected separately.
The country has held presidential elections since 1891, spanning over a period of several different republican governments and national constitutions .
Old Republic Presidentialism was introduced in Brazil after the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889, and the first election was held in 1891. According to the 1891 Constitution , the right to vote was restricted to men over 21 years old who were not illiterate, homeless or enlisted-rank soldiers. [ 2] The elections for president and vice-president were held separately and the same person could be a candidate for both.
Overall, only a small portion of the population voted. [ 3] Since coronelism was common, the colonel elites often persuaded people to vote for certain candidates.
1891 The very first president was elected indirectly by the Congress.
1894 From 1894 on, elections were held every four years.
Candidate Party Votes % Prudente de Morais Federal Republican 290,889 84.38 Afonso Pena Mineiro Republican Party 38,291 11.11 Cesário Alvim Mineiro Republican Party 3,719 1.08 Ruy Barbosa Paulista Republican Party 3,718 1.08 José Luiz de Almeida Couto 3,137 0.91 Lauro Sodré Federal Republican 1,876 0.54 Others 3,092 0.90 Total 344,722 100.00 Valid votes 344,722 96.93 Invalid/blank votes 10,903 3.07 Total votes 355,625 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 1,050,000 33.87
1919 Since Rodrigues Alves, the President-elect, caught the Spanish flu and died before taking office, a new election was held in 1919.
1930 Candidate Party Votes % Júlio Prestes Paulista Republican Party 1,091,709 59.39 Getúlio Vargas Liberal Alliance 742,794 40.41 Minervino de Oliveira Workers and Peasants' Bloc 151 0.01 Others 3,550 0.19 Total 1,838,204 100.00 Valid votes 1,838,204 96.74 Invalid/blank votes 61,921 3.26 Total votes 1,900,125 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 2,525,000 75.25
Fourth Republic After Vargas was forced to resign in 1945, a new state was born under a democratic constitution written in 1946. The new Constitution provided for direct elections every five years for both president and vice-president.
1945 Candidate Party Votes % Eurico Gaspar Dutra PSD 3,251,507 55.39 Eduardo Gomes UDN 2,039,341 34.74 Yedo Fiúza PCB 569,818 9.71 Mário Rolim Teles PAN 10,001 0.17 Total 5,870,667 100.00 Valid votes 5,870,667 97.74 Invalid votes 65,217 1.09 Blank votes 70,328 1.17 Total votes 6,006,212 100.00
1950 Candidate Party Votes % Getúlio Vargas PTB 3,879,040 48.93 Eduardo Gomes UDN 2,342,384 29.55 Cristiano Machado PSD 1,697,173 21.41 João Mangabeira PSB 9,466 0.12 Total 7,928,063 100.00 Valid votes 7,928,063 95.68 Invalid votes 146,473 1.77 Blank votes 211,433 2.55 Total votes 8,285,969 100.00
1955 Candidate Party Votes % Juscelino Kubitschek PSD 3,077,411 35.68 Juarez Távora UDN 2,610,462 30.27 Adhemar de Barros PSP 2,222,725 25.77 Plínio Salgado PRP 714,379 8.28 Total 8,624,977 100.00 Valid votes 8,624,977 94.81 Invalid votes 310,185 3.41 Blank votes 161,852 1.78 Total votes 9,097,014 100.00
1960 Candidate Party Votes % Jânio Quadros PTN 5,636,825 48.26 Teixeira Lott PSD 3,846,825 32.94 Adhemar de Barros PSP 2,195,709 18.80 Total 11,679,359 100.00 Valid votes 11,679,359 92.79 Invalid votes 473,806 3.76 Blank votes 433,391 3.44 Total votes 12,586,556 100.00
With the 1964 military coup d'état , the direct democracy ended and presidents (who were all members of military, except for the last one) were now elected by the Congress. [ 5] The interval between elections was irregular.
1966 With the two-party system , only ARENA and MDB could dispute elections. President and vice-president were now part of the same ticket . The 1966 and 1969 elections had only one candidate.
Candidate Running mate Party Votes % Artur da Costa e Silva Pedro Aleixo ARENA 294 100.00 Total 294 100.00 Valid votes 294 87.76 Invalid/blank votes 41 12.24 Total votes 335 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 475 70.53
1985 The two-party system ended in 1979 and many other parties were created. This was the last election under the military regime.
Candidate Running mate Party Votes % Tancredo Neves José Sarney PMDB 480 72.73 Paulo Maluf Flávio Marcílio PDS 180 27.27 Total 660 100.00 Valid votes 660 96.21 Invalid/blank votes 26 3.79 Total votes 686 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 695 98.71
New Republic Under the current Constitution enacted in October 1988, elections are held every four years (except for the first one, which was held five years before the second to match the centenary of the Proclamation of the Republic ) and citizens elect a ticket for both president and vice-president. Voting is mandatory for men and women between 18 and 70 years old who are not illiterate, and optional for people aged 16–17, over 70, and illiterates. [ 1]
1989 Candidate Running mate Party First round Second round Votes % Votes % Fernando Collor Itamar Franco PRN 20,611,030 30.48 35,090,206 53.03 Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva José Paulo Bisol (PSB ) PT 11,622,321 17.19 31,075,803 46.97 Leonel Brizola Fernando Lyra PDT 11,167,665 16.51 Mário Covas Almir Gabriel PSDB 7,790,381 11.52 Paulo Maluf Bonifácio de Andrada PDS 5,986,585 8.85 Guilherme Afif Domingos Aluísio Pimenta (PDC) PL 3,272,520 4.84 Ulysses Guimarães Waldir Pires PMDB 3,204,996 4.74 Roberto Freire Sérgio Arouca PCB 769,117 1.14 Aureliano Chaves Cláudio Lembo PFL 600,821 0.89 Ronaldo Caiado Camilo Calazans (PDN) PSD 488,893 0.72 Affonso Camargo Neto Paiva Muniz PTB 379,284 0.56 Enéas Carneiro Lenine Madeira PRONA 360,578 0.53 José Alcides de Oliveira Reinau Valim PSP 238,408 0.35 Paulo Gontijo Luís Paulino PP 198,710 0.29 Zamir José Teixeira William Pereira PCN 187,164 0.28 Lívia Maria Pio Ardwin Grunewald PN 179,925 0.27 Eudes Oliveira Mattar Daniel Lazzeoroni Jr PLP 162,343 0.24 Fernando Gabeira Maurício Lobo Abreu PV 125,844 0.19 Celso Brant Emídio Neto PMN 109,903 0.16 Antônio Pedreira José Fortunato PPB 86,107 0.13 Manoel Horta Jorge Coelho de Sá PDCdoB 83,291 0.12 Armando Corrêa Agostinho Linhares PMB 0 0.00 Total 67,625,886 100.00 66,166,009 100.00 Valid votes 67,625,886 93.55 66,166,009 94.17 Invalid votes 3,487,963 4.82 3,108,232 4.42 Blank votes 1,176,367 1.63 986,460 1.40 Total votes 72,290,216 100.00 70,260,701 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 82,074,718 88.08 82,074,718 85.61
1994 Candidate Running mate Party Votes % Fernando Henrique Cardoso Marco Maciel (PFL ) PSDB 34,314,961 54.24 Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Aloizio Mercadante PT 17,122,127 27.07 Enéas Carneiro Roberto Gama PRONA 4,671,457 7.38 Orestes Quércia Iris de Araújo PMDB 2,772,121 4.38 Leonel Brizola Darcy Ribeiro PDT 2,015,836 3.19 Esperidião Amin Gardênia Gonçalves PPR 1,739,894 2.75 Carlos Antônio Gomes Dilton Salomoni PRN 387,738 0.61 Hernani Fortuna Vítor Nósseis PSC 238,197 0.38 Total 63,262,331 100.00 Valid votes 63,262,331 81.21 Invalid votes 7,444,017 9.56 Blank votes 7,192,116 9.23 Total votes 77,898,464 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 94,732,410 82.23
1998 Candidate Running mate Party Votes % Fernando Henrique Cardoso (incumbent) Marco Maciel (PFL ) PSDB 35,936,540 53.06 Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Leonel Brizola (PDT ) PT 21,475,218 31.71 Ciro Gomes Roberto Freire PPS 7,426,170 10.97 Enéas Carneiro Irapuan Teixeira PRONA 1,447,090 2.14 Ivan Frota João Ferreira da Silva PMN 251,337 0.37 Alfredo Sirkis Carla Rabello PV 212,984 0.31 José Maria de Almeida José Galvão de Lima PSTU 202,659 0.30 João de Deus Nanci Pilar PTdoB 198,916 0.29 José Maria Eymael Jormar Alderete PSDC 171,831 0.25 Thereza Ruiz Eduardo Gomes PTN 166,138 0.25 Sérgio Bueno Ronald Azaro PSC 124,659 0.18 Vasco Azevedo Neto Alexandre José dos Santos PSN 109,003 0.16 Total 67,722,545 100.00 Valid votes 67,722,545 81.30 Invalid votes 8,886,895 10.67 Blank votes 6,688,403 8.03 Total votes 83,297,843 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 106,101,067 78.51
2002 Candidate Running mate Party First round Second round Votes % Votes % Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva José Alencar (PL ) PT 39,455,233 46.44 52,793,364 61.27 José Serra Rita Camata (PMDB ) PSDB 19,705,445 23.20 33,370,739 38.73 Anthony Garotinho José Antônio Almeida PSB 15,180,097 17.87 Ciro Gomes Paulo Pereira da Silva PPS 10,170,882 11.97 José Maria de Almeida Dayse Oliveira PSTU 402,236 0.47 Rui Costa Pimenta Pedro Paulo de Abreu PCO 38,619 0.05 Total 84,952,512 100.00 86,164,103 100.00 Valid votes 84,952,512 89.61 86,164,103 94.00 Invalid votes 6,976,107 7.36 3,772,138 4.12 Blank votes 2,873,720 3.03 1,727,760 1.88 Total votes 94,802,339 100.00 91,664,001 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 115,254,113 82.26 115,254,113 79.53
2006 Candidate Running mate Party First round Second round Votes % Votes % Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (incumbent) José Alencar (PRB ) PT 46,662,365 48.61 58,298,042 60.83 Geraldo Alckmin José Jorge (PFL ) PSDB 39,968,369 41.64 37,543,178 39.17 Heloísa Helena César Benjamin PSOL 6,575,393 6.85 Cristovam Buarque Jefferson Peres PDT 2,538,844 2.64 Ana Maria Rangel Delma Gama e Narcini PRP 126,404 0.13 José Maria Eymael José Paulo Neto PSDC 63,294 0.07 Luciano Bivar Américo de Souza PSL 62,064 0.06 Total 95,996,733 100.00 95,841,220 100.00 Valid votes 95,996,733 91.58 95,841,220 93.96 Invalid votes 5,957,521 5.68 4,808,553 4.71 Blank votes 2,866,205 2.73 1,351,448 1.32 Total votes 104,820,459 100.00 102,001,221 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 125,913,134 83.25 125,913,134 81.01
2010 Candidate Running mate Party First round Second round Votes % Votes % Dilma Rousseff Michel Temer (PMDB ) PT 47,651,434 46.91 55,752,529 56.05 José Serra Indio da Costa (DEM ) PSDB 33,132,283 32.61 43,711,388 43.95 Marina Silva Guilherme Leal PV 19,636,359 19.33 Plínio de Arruda Sampaio Hamilton Assis PSOL 886,816 0.87 José Maria Eymael José Paulo Neto PSDC 89,350 0.09 José Maria de Almeida Cláudia Durans PSTU 84,609 0.08 Levy Fidelix Luiz Eduardo Duarte PRTB 57,960 0.06 Ivan Pinheiro Edmilson Costa PCB 39,136 0.04 Rui Costa Pimenta Edson Dorta PCO 12,206 0.01 Total 101,590,153 100.00 99,463,917 100.00 Valid votes 101,590,153 91.36 99,463,917 93.30 Invalid votes 6,124,254 5.51 4,689,428 4.40 Blank votes 3,479,340 3.13 2,452,597 2.30 Total votes 111,193,747 100.00 106,605,942 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 135,804,433 81.88 135,804,433 78.50
2014 Candidate Running mate Party First round Second round Votes % Votes % Dilma Rousseff (incumbent) Michel Temer (PMDB ) PT 43,267,668 41.59 54,501,118 51.64 Aécio Neves Aloysio Nunes PSDB 34,897,211 33.55 51,041,155 48.36 Marina Silva Beto Albuquerque PSB 22,176,619 21.32 Luciana Genro Jorge Paz PSOL 1,612,186 1.55 Everaldo Pereira Leonardo Gadelha PSC 780,513 0.75 Eduardo Jorge Célia Sacramento PV 630,099 0.61 Levy Fidelix José Alves de Oliveira PRTB 446,878 0.43 José Maria de Almeida Cláudia Durans PSTU 91,209 0.09 José Maria Eymael Roberto Lopes PSDC 61,250 0.06 Mauro Iasi Sofia Manzano PCB 47,845 0.05 Rui Costa Pimenta Ricardo Machado PCO 12,324 0.01 Total 104,023,802 100.00 105,542,273 100.00 Valid votes 104,023,802 90.36 105,542,273 93.66 Invalid votes 6,678,580 5.80 5,219,787 4.63 Blank votes 4,420,488 3.84 1,921,819 1.71 Total votes 115,122,870 100.00 112,683,879 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 142,822,046 80.61 142,822,046 78.90
2018 Candidate Running mate Party First round Second round Votes % Votes % Jair Bolsonaro Hamilton Mourão (PRTB ) PSL 49,276,990 46.03 57,797,847 55.13 Fernando Haddad Manuela d'Ávila (PCdoB ) PT 31,342,051 29.28 47,040,906 44.87 Ciro Gomes Kátia Abreu PDT 13,344,371 12.47 Geraldo Alckmin Ana Amélia Lemos (PP ) PSDB 5,096,350 4.76 João Amoêdo Christian Lohbauer NOVO 2,679,745 2.50 Cabo Daciolo Suelene Balduino Patriota 1,348,323 1.26 Henrique Meirelles Germano Rigotto MDB 1,288,950 1.20 Marina Silva Eduardo Jorge (PV ) REDE 1,069,578 1.00 Alvaro Dias Paulo Rabello (PSC ) PODE 859,601 0.80 Guilherme Boulos Sônia Guajajara PSOL 617,122 0.58 Vera Lúcia Salgado Hertz Dias PSTU 55,762 0.05 José Maria Eymael Helvio Costa DC 41,710 0.04 João Goulart Filho Léo Alves PPL 30,176 0.03 Total 107,050,729 100.00 104,838,753 100.00 Valid votes 107,050,729 91.21 104,838,753 90.43 Invalid votes 7,206,222 6.14 8,608,105 7.43 Blank votes 3,106,937 2.65 2,486,593 2.14 Total votes 117,363,888 100.00 115,933,451 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 147,306,295 79.67 147,306,294 78.70
2022 Candidate Running mate Party First round Second round Votes % Votes % Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Geraldo Alckmin (PSB ) PT 57,259,504 48.43 60,345,999 50.90 Jair Bolsonaro (incumbent) Walter Braga Netto PL 51,072,345 43.20 58,206,354 49.10 Simone Tebet Mara Gabrilli (PSDB ) MDB 4,915,423 4.16 Ciro Gomes Ana Paula Matos PDT 3,599,287 3.04 Soraya Thronicke Marcos Cintra UNIÃO 600,955 0.51 Luiz Felipe d'Avila Tiago Mitraud NOVO 559,708 0.47 Kelmon Souza Luiz Cláudio Gamonal PTB 81,129 0.07 Leonardo Péricles Samara Martins UP 53,519 0.05 Sofia Manzano Antônio Alves PCB 45,620 0.04 Vera Lúcia Salgado Kunã Yporã Tremembé PSTU 25,625 0.02 José Maria Eymael Professor Bravo DC 16,604 0.01 Total 118,229,719 100.00 118,552,353 100.00 Valid votes 118,229,719 95.59 118,552,353 95.41 Invalid votes 3,487,874 2.82 3,930,765 3.16 Blank votes 1,964,779 1.59 1,769,678 1.42 Total votes 123,682,372 100.00 124,252,796 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 156,453,354 79.05 156,453,354 79.42
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