More than 1.8 million voters spread across the 66 municipalities in the region of Ribeirão Preto (SP) and Franca (SP) are expected to go to the polls this Sunday (25) to compete in the second round of the 2026 Elections.
The regional electorate will help choose between Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) who will occupy the presidency of the Republic for the next four years.
In the first round, on October 4, the region registered a higher abstention rate than the national average. More than 410 thousand voters missed the vote, which represented an absence rate of 22.4%, while the country's average was 21.04%.
In Ribeirão Preto, 112,367 of the 473,134 voters missed the polls. In Franca, 51,977 of the 241,902 voters stopped voting.
In addition to the high absence, the first shift in the region was marked by operational problems. Heavy rain and winds caused a power outage in Barrinha (SP) and delays in Guariba (SP), in addition to a tree fall that caused the death of a driver in the District of Córrego Rico, in Jaboticabal (SP).
ELECTIONS 2026 - RIBEIRÃO PRETO, SP: Voter waits for document verification to be able to vote at Escola Dom Alberto José Gonçalves — Photo: Érico Andrade/g1
In total, the Electoral Court had to replace eight electronic voting machines due to technical failures in nine municipalities in the region, and at least ten people were detained by the Military Police for electoral crimes such as vote buying, exiting the ballot box and irregular disposal of cards.
For the second round, the Electoral Court confirmed that there were no changes to the voting locations in the Ribeirão Preto and Franca region.
To facilitate access to electoral colleges, Ribeirão Preto City Hall determined zero fares for urban public transport throughout Sunday (25), from 8am to 5pm. The free fee complies with the resolution of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) and will be available to all passengers.
Users with the Our Card will be validated at the turnstile free of charge, and those who do not have the card will have it validated directly by the bus driver, who will operate with fleets at compatible levels on working days.
Furthermore, RP Mobi will carry out a special transit operation in Nova Ribeirânia to ensure the safe transport of electronic voting machines to the new headquarters of the Electoral Registry.
Who can and who should vote?
Voting is mandatory for all literate people aged between 18 and 70.
Participation is optional for young people aged 16 and 17, who have obtained their title and turned 16 by the date of the first round, people over 70 and illiterate.
Voters who have their voter registration card canceled or suspended cannot vote.
ELECTIONS 2026 - FRANCA, SP: Voter uses biometrics to vote at Colégio Jesus Maria José, in Jardim California — Photo: Igor do Vale/g1
Can anyone who didn't vote in the 1st round vote in the 2nd round?
Yes. The Electoral Court considers each round of voting as an independent election.
Anyone who did not attend or did not justify their absence in the first round can vote normally in the second round, as long as their voter registration card is in good standing.
How to vote in the electronic ballot box in the 2nd round?
In the second round, voters in the state of São Paulo will vote exclusively for the President of the Republic.
Voting only requires a double-digit vote. After typing the candidate's numbers into the electronic ballot box, the voter must check the photo, name and party on the screen before pressing the green "Confirm" key. It is allowed to take the numbers written down on a piece of paper.
E-title — Photo: g1; Bruna Bonfim/g1
What documents are accepted to vote?
To vote, it is mandatory to present an official document with photo to the table. Documents are accepted even after their expiration date, as long as they allow the voter to be identified. Valid documents are:
Identity card (RG);
National driving license (CNH);
Passport;
Reservist certificate;
Physical work card;
Cards from professional class bodies (such as OAB, CRM and CREA);
e-Title, as long as the profile displays the voter's photo (required for those with registered biometrics).
🚫 What's not valid: Birth or marriage certificates are not accepted as they do not have a photo. The digital work card is also not permitted for the same reason. A paper voter registration card is not mandatory.
Can those who have not registered biometrics vote?
Yes. People without biometrics collected at the Electoral Court can vote normally, as long as they have a regular title and present an official document with a photo.
Furthermore, biometric data integrated through agreements with other public bodies can enable the voter directly in the electronic ballot box.
ELECTIONS 2026 - RIBEIRÃO PRETO, SP: Voter leaves booth after voting at Escola Dom Alberto José Gonçalves — Photo: Érico Andrade/g1
What is allowed and what is prohibited on voting day?
🚫 It is prohibited:
Electronics in the booth: It is prohibited to enter the voting booth with cell phones, cameras, camcorders, smart glasses or any device that could violate the secrecy of the vote. When entering the section, the telephone must be turned off and left on the table indicated by the poll workers.
Electoral crimes: The practices of buying votes, discarding saints and gathering of people in standardized clothing that characterize a collective demonstration are prohibited.
🔍 Polling booth is an illegal practice of carrying out electoral propaganda or trying to convince voters on election day near polling places.
✅ It is allowed:
Individual and silent demonstration: Voters can demonstrate their political preference exclusively individually, with the use of t-shirts, pins, stickers and labels from candidates or parties permitted.
How to check the location and polling station?
Polling location consultation can be carried out in advance through the official channels of the Electoral Court:
e-Título application: available for smartphones, indicating the address and map in the "Where to vote" tab.
electoral self-service: On the São Paulo Regional Electoral Court (TRE-SP) or TSE website, in the "Where to Vote" tab.
telephone service and WhatsApp: Via virtual assistant Lina on WhatsApp (11) 3130-2200 or via the Voter Service Center on phone 148.
How does absentee voting work?
🔍 Voting in transit is a modality that allows voters who are outside their electoral domicile to vote in another city, upon prior request to the Electoral Court.
Voters who requested a temporary transfer for both rounds will vote in the chosen location. Anyone who requested only the first round must vote in their place of origin.
How and when to justify absence from the polls?
On voting day: from 8am to 5pm, via the e-Título app, using the geolocation tool to prove that the voter is outside their electoral home. Anyone who does not have access to a cell phone can submit the printed Electoral Justification Request (RJE) at any table receiving votes or justification.
After the election: Anyone who does not vote in the second round has until January 8th to present their justification via e-Título or on the Electoral Self-Service portal on the TSE website, attaching proof of the impediment. For the first round, the deadline for justification ends on December 3rd.
