Public defenders will monitor 2026 elections against harassment and political violence

Public defenders will monitor the 2026 elections to curb practices such as electoral harassment, political violence, barriers to voting and gender quota fraud. They will also keep an eye on difficulties faced by elderly people or people with disabilities.

The group is made up of 31 defenders from 14 states and the Federal District, who will participate in the Electoral Observation Mission of the TSE (Superior Electoral Court). They will be distributed across the five regions of the country and will follow different stages of the election.

The group will visit polling places and polling stations and seek to identify situations that could compromise the exercise of voting and equal political participation.

Episodes of political violence and barriers that hinder vulnerable groups' access to the electoral process have already been identified in previous elections.

But the action on the day of the election will only be observational. Defenders cannot carry out an audit or interfere in the electoral process, but must gather information, consolidate it into a report and present suggestions to the Electoral Court.