Flávio Bolsonaro says he will respect 2026 Brazilian election outcome

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the PL candidate for the 2026 Brazilian presidential election, announced that he will accept the result of the October vote and will run within the rules set by the Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (TSE). He acknowledged that his earlier comments linking the Venezuelan firm Smartmatic to Brazil’s electronic voting machines may have been misstated. The TSE clarified that Smartmatic has never supplied nor provided the electronic voting machines used in Brazil; it only participated in training and lost the 2020 bid to manufacture the machines, which was won by Positivo.

TSE president Kassio Nunes Marques defended the electronic voting system, calling the voting machine a “heritage of Brazilian democracy” and emphasizing transparency. He announced a National Week of the Electronic Voting System with demonstrations, lectures and anti‑disinformation actions, and highlighted that the TSE’s doors remain open for public scrutiny. The TSE also partnered with the Attorney General’s Office to issue a guide on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in the 2026 elections, aiming to curb deep‑fake manipulation.

Former president Michel Temer called for a post‑election pact between the legislative and judicial branches to promote institutional pacification, underscoring the broader political context surrounding the upcoming vote.