Voter abstention in Uberaba reaches highest rate since 2014 in the first round of the 2026 Elections

Electronic ballot box; election; vote; voting — Photo: Antonio Machado/Fotoarena/Estadão Conteúdo

Two out of every 10 voters in Uberaba did not go to the polls in the first round of the 2026 Elections, this Sunday (4). This means that 50,700 voters in the city abstained from voting. That is, 21.44% of the electoral college.

Both the number and the abstention rate in the first round in Uberaba were the highest in the last general elections, since 2014, which is the oldest database of this type of data maintained by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) for general elections.

The rate of non-attendance at the polls follows the same pattern across the country. Across Brazil, 21.08% of voters did not show up to vote. On the national scene, there are almost 33.5 million voters.

See what abstentions were like in Uberaba in the first round of the last elections:

2026:

🗳️50,783 voters did not go to the polls

📊21.44% of registered voters in the city

2022:

🗳️47,409 voters did not go to the polls

📊20.3% of registered voters in the city

2018:

🗳️33,705 voters did not go to the polls

📊15.5% of registered voters in the city

2014:

🗳️41,782 voters did not go to the polls

📊19.1% of registered voters in the city

In August, two months before the first round of the 2026 Elections, g1 published a series of reports on the profile of the Uberaba electorate with expert analysis of the changes. One of the topics discussed was abstentions, invalid and blank votes in the city during the last general elections.

Researcher Alecilda Oliveira had already warned about the growth in abstentions.

"This data shows a participatory democracy in erosion. It is a process that needs to be observed carefully."

According to her, the numbers may reflect a broader phenomenon of disbelief in politics. "There is an anti-politics feeling that has been growing for years. This helps to explain why some people no longer see the value in electoral participation," said Alecilda Oliveira.