Brazil's Electoral Courts Address Gender‑Quota Fraud in Municipal and National Cases

The São Paulo Regional Electoral Court (TRE‑SP) ruled that the Mobiliza party violated the gender‑quota rule in the 2024 municipal elections in Marília. The court declared the party's votes null, removing councilwoman Rossana Camacho (PSD) and installing former councilor José Carlos Albuquerque (Podemos) in her place. The fraud involved a fictitious female candidate, Juliana Ferreira do Nascimento, who did not vote for herself and was deemed ineligible for eight years.

At the national level, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) is reconsidering its longstanding jurisprudence that nullifies an entire slate when a gender‑quota breach is found. Ministers André Mendonça and Antonio Carlos Ferreira have proposed limiting the annulment to the male candidates who benefited from the fraud, while preserving votes for women who were not implicated. The proposal follows recent cases in Amapá and Ceará and could reshape how gender‑quota violations are punished across Brazil.