TRE-MA denies Roberto Rocha access to electoral airtime

The Regional Electoral Court of Maranhão (TRE-MA) has denied a request by the PRTB party and gubernatorial candidate Roberto Rocha to participate in free radio and television electoral advertising time. The decision, issued by Judge Sebastião Joaquim Lima Bonfim, rejected the party's argument that the 10% equal distribution portion of airtime should be exempt from performance clause requirements.

The court ruled that the Constitution conditions access to free electoral broadcasting on meeting performance thresholds, applying this rule to the entirety of the advertising time. Because the PRTB did not meet the necessary legal criteria for representation, the judge determined the party is ineligible for both proportional and equal distribution segments of the broadcast schedule.