Nice voting machines; shame about the candidates
THE whizzy electronic ballot boxes that Brazil uses for elections meant that most results were announced before bedtime on polling day. But no technology can speed up the country’s courts. Just one day before the election they ruled that votes for candidates who had been barred from standing, mostly under a new anti-corruption law passed this year, should be set aside. Because of the delay, the results of this precisely tallied election are still uncertain.
In the races for state governor and federal and state legislatures, a total of 11m votes went to ineligible candidates. In the northern state of Pará, for example, two of the three front-runners for the national Senate were blacklisted. However, politicians can appeal against their inclusion on the list. Those who win their challenges by December 31st will probably displace their rivals who have been declared victors by default.
Contests for the lower house of Congress are even more chaotic. When candidates get more votes than they need to win, they pass the surplus on to their allies. The courts have yet to decide whether politicians can be elected on disqualified candidates’ coat-tails. If they cannot, the results of appeals could affect the legislative balances of power.
Some candidates without legal troubles had otherwise dubious qualifications. The self-styled Miss Pear (curvy, corseted) and Miss Melon (self-explanatory) did gratifyingly badly in their bids to enter state legislatures. But Tiririca (Grumpy), a clown best known for a hit single, won more votes (1.35m) than any other candidate for the lower house of Congress. “What does a federal deputy do? To be honest, I don’t know,” ran his ads. “But vote for me and I’ll let you know.” He will have to take a literacy test before he can take office. But even if he fails, three of his allies will tumble into Congress in his parti-coloured wake.
