Brazil political parties face deadline for minority campaign fund distribution

Political parties in Brazil face a deadline to distribute mandatory campaign funds to female, Black, and indigenous candidates. These resources are drawn from the Special Campaign Financing Fund (FEFC) and the Party Fund to promote political equality and address the underrepresentation of these groups in decision-making spaces.

While gender quotas have existed for 30 years, data from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) shows a gap between candidacy numbers and elected officials. For instance, although women's candidacies increased significantly, their representation in the Chamber of Deputies was only 17.7% in 2022. Similarly, while Black and mixed-race individuals represent 55.5% of the population, they held approximately 26.3% of seats in the Chamber during the same period. Indigenous representation remains notably low at 0.93% of total candidacies.

The funding rules require that at least 30% of resources be allocated to specific groups to ensure more effective participation in the 2026 elections.