More than 158 million voters will be able to cast their ballots on October 4. Compared to the general elections of 2022, there are 2.2 million more voters. In an interview with Rádio Câmara, political scientist Carlos Oliveira highlights another increase: the age of voters.
“We now have a slightly more mature electorate. The profile of voters that has started to grow more is from 45 years old and up. And this reflects the profile of the Brazilian population, which has been aging,” he said.
According to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), by 2026, the electorate is more concentrated in adult ages and with greater growth among the older population. The age group between 40 and 44 years (15.9 million) represents 10.08% of the national electorate. Next are the age groups of 45 to 49 years (15.271 million); 35 to 39 years (15.262 million); 30 to 34 years (15.178 million); and 25 to 29 years (14.9 million).
People aged 60 and over saw an increase of 4.56 million between 2022 and 2026, totaling 37.45 million people, or 23.6% of the electorate. In the age group between 21 and 34 years, there was a decrease: from 43.8 million voters in 2022 to 41.037 million in 2026.
Decline among young people
Among the younger population, aged 18 or younger, there was a decrease of 606,000 registrations compared to 2022. In this age group, voting is not mandatory. For Carlos Oliveira, the encouragement for these teenagers to go to the polls usually comes from political engagement within their own families or friends.
“If the mother, father, or peers are very politically engaged, and the young person is in that environment, the likelihood of them registering and voting is higher,” he said.
Over 70 years old
Political engagement is also what tends to mobilize another age group whose voting is optional: voters over 70 years old.
“Research in Europe shows that if these people were normally politically engaged before, they will continue to vote. So, people who were already very interested in politics, who felt represented, continue to try to participate in democracy through voting. Another interesting fact, also in the European Union, is that if the elderly have a grandchild or great-grandchild who lives with them and likes politics, that grandchild or great-grandchild usually ends up taking the elderly person to vote. So, it’s not just a moment for them,” explained the political scientist.
Female vote
Another point highlighted by Carlos Oliveira refers to the participation of women in the electorate. They make up 52.8% of voters, but they are still not the majority among candidates and elected officials. According to the scholar, recent legislation, since the redemocratization, has sought to strengthen female participation. However, the increase of women in politics depends, according to him, on a general awareness in society.
“When they get home, women typically dedicate, on average, 3 more hours of work than men worldwide. And I think that sometimes many of them have incredible leadership, have the ability, have the potential to contribute a lot to society, but they also need support,” he emphasizes.
Check out the special page from Câmara on the 2026 Elections
According to Carlos Oliveira, the Brazilian electorate, on average, still does not make a direct connection between elected officials and the public policies being developed by governments and parliaments. However, he emphasized that this awareness can increase, especially if voters perceive the role of politics in their daily lives.
“Politics is fundamental. The ideal, when we go to vote, is not to think only of ourselves – we have to think of the whole. So, if you think of the whole and believe in an idea, think that idea will be better over the years, we cannot think only of the moment. What I cannot do is give up, because for most of the population, the right to vote was a very hard-fought struggle,” he defended.
This year, Brazilian voters will vote for president, governor, state or district deputies, federal deputies, and senators.
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