Brazil Superior Electoral Court ineligibility rulings

The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) has issued several rulings regarding candidate ineligibility for the 2026 elections.

In one instance, the court unanimously rejected the candidacy of Aurelina Medeiros for a state deputy seat in Roraima. This decision overturned a previous ruling by the Roraima Regional Electoral Court (TRE-RR) and prevented Medeiros from beginning an eighth consecutive term. The TSE cited a conviction for willful administrative misconduct related to the ‘Escândalo dos Gafanhotos’ embezzlement scheme, which involved illicit enrichment and damage to public funds.

In a separate case, the TSE upheld the rejection of a federal deputy candidacy in Alagoas due to a prior conviction for domestic violence and bodily injury. Justice Dias Toffoli noted that legal reforms allow the court to apply ineligibility criteria based on the protected legal interest. Following this ruling, the TSE intends to suggest that the National Congress amend Complementary Law No. 64/1990 to explicitly include convictions for crimes involving violence against women as grounds for ineligibility.