Brazilian political parties fail to meet 2026 performance clause

Several Brazilian political parties and federations failed to meet the performance clause (cláusula de barreira) requirements in the 2026 elections. This failure results in the loss of access to the Party Fund (Fundo Partidário) and free electoral advertising time on radio and television starting in 2027.

The PSOL/Rede federation narrowly missed the threshold, falling short by just 185 votes in Espírito Santo to meet the requirement of 1.5% of valid votes in at least nine federal units. While they secured the necessary 2.5% national vote share, they only reached the state minimum in eight units.

Other groups that failed to meet the criteria include the PDT, Avante, the Missão party, and the PRD/Solidariedade federation. These parties did not meet either the voting percentage threshold or the requirement of electing at least 13 federal deputies distributed across nine states.

In contrast, the Novo party successfully surpassed the performance clause, securing access to public funds and media time after electing ten federal deputies and three senators, meeting the necessary national and regional distribution requirements.