TRE-SP issues guidelines for 2026 elections and voting security

The Regional Electoral Court of São Paulo (TRE-SP) has issued operational guidelines for the first round of the 2026 elections, scheduled for October 4. Judge Encinas Manfré advised voters to use paper notes to facilitate the voting process and reminded citizens that mobile phones and electronic devices are prohibited inside voting booths. Voters must hand over turned-off phones to poll workers before entering the booth.

New features for the electronic voting machines include a progress bar to indicate which office is currently being voted for. In São Paulo, over 34.1 million people are eligible to vote. The court also emphasized the importance of using the e-Título app and checking polling locations in advance. To combat irregularities, new rules have been established to penalize the illegal distribution of campaign materials in the vicinity of polling stations.

Regarding system integrity, the Brazilian electronic voting machine is a specialized computer that operates without internet connectivity. It utilizes digital signatures, sealing processes, and multiple layers of software and hardware to ensure vote secrecy and auditability. The system is designed to produce audit logs and files that allow for post-election verification while maintaining voter anonymity.