Rio Grande do Norte to establish first prison polling station for provisional detainees

For the first time in Rio Grande do Norte, a dedicated polling station will be established within a prison facility to allow provisional detainees to exercise their right to vote during the 2026 elections. The polling station will operate at the Female Provisional Detention Center (CDP Feminino) in the Potengi neighborhood of Natal, serving 59 eligible female voters.

The initiative is the result of inter-institutional cooperation between the Regional Electoral Court of Rio Grande do Norte (TRE-RN), the Regional Electoral Corregedoria, and the State Secretariat of Penitentiary Administration (SEAP/RN). This effort follows a 2025 coordination to ensure civil documentation—such as birth certificates, national identity cards, and voter registration—for incarcerated individuals.

Under Brazilian law, provisional detention does not suspend political rights. Therefore, individuals who have not received a final conviction remain eligible to vote if their electoral status is regular. The project aligns with the ‘Plano Pena Justa’ guidelines to guarantee the rights of those in the prison system.