2022 elections: voting in the first round marked by voter death, dry law in Bahian cities and PF investigations
Quick Look
- A 65-year-old voter died after a heart attack at a polling place in Cotegipe, Bahia, while Senate and government candidates were voting in Salvador.
- More than 200 cities in Bahia had a dry law in the first round of elections, and the PF stated that it found no signs of risk against embassies in Brasília after investigation.
- TRE-BA announced the replacement of 60 electronic voting machines and exit arrests.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The first round of the 2022 general elections in Brazil took place this Sunday (4), with voting for president, governors, senators and deputies. In Bahia, more than 200 cities had restrictions on the sale and consumption of alcohol due to the electoral dry law, determined by host municipalities. The Federal Police investigated allegations of attack plans against embassies in Brasília following security alerts from foreign diplomatic representations.
A 65-year-old man died after suffering a heart attack this Sunday (4), at a polling place in Cotegipe, in western Bahia. He was identified as Gilson Pereira da Silva. Find out more in the report.
Singer Daniela Mercury went to the polls with her family in this first electoral round. She posted on social media: "Long live democracy! What a joy to be able to vote for who I believe in. And as a family." Daniela votes in her hometown, Salvador.
The Senate candidate, Rui Costa (PT), voted this Sunday (4), at Colégio Duque de Caxias, in the Liberdade neighborhood, in Salvador.
Accompanied by party supporters, Rui Costa voted at around 2:30 pm, after waiting in line for more than two hours.
The candidate for the Senate, Angelo Coronel (Republicans) voted this Sunday (4), at Colégio Marízia Maior, in the Stella Maris neighborhood, in Salvador.
Angelo Coronel voted at around 1:30 pm, accompanied by the candidate for governor of Bahia, ACM Neto (União Brasil); the mayor of Salvador, Bruno Reis (União Brasil); his son, the candidate for state deputy Angelo Coronel Filho (Republicans); and his wife, Eleusa Coronel.
The Senate candidate, João Roma (PL), voted this Sunday (4), at the Faculty of Education of the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), in the Canela neighborhood, in Salvador.
João Roma returned around 12pm, accompanied by his wife, Roberta Roma, and his two children, João and Clarice.
Candidate ACM Neto (Uiçao Brasil) voted, this Sunday morning (4), at the Faculty of Administration of the Federal University of Bahia (Ufba), in Salvador. He arrived at the location late in the morning, but only voted at around 12:50 pm.
ACM Neto was accompanied by his wife, Mariana Barreto, his three children, Lívia, Marcela and Antônio Carlos, and the senatorial candidates João Roma (PL) and Angelo Coronel (Republicans).
204 cities in Bahia are under dry law, according to TRE-BA.
More than 200 cities in Bahia will have restrictions or bans on the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in the first round of elections, this Sunday (4).
Salvador does not appear on the list released by TRE-BA and, until the last update of this report, no electoral zone in the capital had determined Dry Law. In some cities in the state, whether or not the law is applied depends on determinations made in "Head Municipalities", which define the situation throughout the electoral zone.
See list of cities: glo.bo/9c68ci0
The director general of the Federal Police (PF), Andrei Rodrigues, stated this Sunday (4) that investigations did not identify the possibility of risk or signs of attack plans against embassies in Brasília.
The PF executed two search and seizure warrants on Friday (2) in an investigation into an alleged plan against the United States Embassy in Brazil. Investigators targeted two suspects.
The action occurred after foreign diplomatic representations in Brazil issued security alerts on Friday (2).
"We did not find concrete elements about the existence of risk for any embassy. There was no plan, there was nothing that we identified," said Andrei Rodrigues. (See more)
During the first press conference of the regional electoral court (TRE-BA), which took place this Sunday (4), at 11:30 am, the body announced that 60 electronic voting machines had been replaced across the state, two of which were in Salvador.
In addition, five people were arrested on suspicion of exit polls in Bahia, two of them in Salvador. The body also announced during the first press conference of the day that it had received 15 complaints of irregular electoral propaganda.
The candidate for the Senate, Jaques Wagner (PT), voted this Sunday (4), at the Federal Superintendency of Agriculture (SFA), in the Aflitos neighborhood, in Salvador.
Initially, the team of the candidate for re-election of the government of Bahia, Jerônimo Rodrigues (PT), informed that Jaques Wagner would be part of a delegation that would also include the presence of the candidate for the Senate, Rui Costa (PT).
However, Jaques Wagner voted alone, before Jerônimo and Rui Costa. The reason for the early vote was not disclosed.
The candidate for the government of Bahia, Maria Bona (PCO), voted this Sunday (4), at Escola Barão de Macaúbas, in the city of Rio de Contas, in the southwest of Bahia.
She arrived at the polling place around 9 am. This is his first contest in an election.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
TRE-BA may release new data on the replacement of ballot boxes and electoral events after voting zones close.
Likely · Within hours
Federal Police investigations into the alleged plan against embassies may be shelved, as no concrete elements of risk were found.
Possible · Within days
Open Questions
- What was the exact cause of the heart attack that led to Gilson Pereira da Silva's death?
- Was there any evidence of fraud or irregularity related to the death of the voter in Cotegipe?
- What were the criteria used by the host municipalities to determine the application of dry law in their electoral zones?
- What were the consequences of the 15 complaints of irregular electoral propaganda received by TRE-BA?
