Brazil's Electoral Court Sets 2026 Campaign Spending Caps
The Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (TSE) announced that candidates for the 2026 presidential race may spend up to R$ 133.4 million in total, with a ceiling of R$ 88.9 million for the first round and R$ 44.5 million if a second round is required. Identical limits apply to governors, senators, and deputies, but amounts vary by state size; for example, Pará candidates can spend up to R$ 11.5 million, Amazonas up to R$ 7.1 million, and Pernambuco up to R$ 11.5 million. The caps remain unchanged from the 2022 election and are funded by the Fundo Especial de Financiamento de Campanha (FEFC), which allocates R$ 4.9 billion to the 30 participating parties. Candidates who exceed the limits face a fine of up to 100 % of the excess and may be charged with abuse of economic power.
Banco do Brasil introduced a fully digital electoral‑account service, allowing candidates to open up to five mandatory campaign accounts via its mobile app using biometric facial verification, with automatic validation by the Justice Electoral.
The TSE also reiterated that the Venezuelan firm Smartmatic “never provided electronic voting machines nor developed software used in Brazilian elections,” confirming earlier statements that the Brazilian voting system is designed and operated solely by the court.