Brazil Federal Police launches investigations into electoral fraud in Maranhão

The Federal Police in Brazil filed a criminal complaint in Maranhão alleging fraud in the Veritá poll (MA‑01455/2026) that showed pre‑candidate Eduardo Braide with 56.2% support for governor. The complaint points to methodological inconsistencies, such as mismatched respondent numbers, questionable education‑level weighting, and irregular result tables, and requests access to the original data.

A broader analysis of police inquiries from January to July 2026 shows 829 investigations into electoral crimes nationwide, with Maranhão leading (98 cases), followed by Rio de Janeiro (86) and Ceará (83). The most common allegations are vote buying, falsity of public documents, and fraudulent voter registration. The Federal Police’s “Painel BI Eleições” tracks these cases, and the majority were reported by the Electoral Justice system.