Elections 2026: Practical guide for the first round in São Paulo

The first round of the 2026 Elections takes place this Sunday (4), and voters in São Paulo will choose candidates for federal deputy, state deputy, two seats for the Senate, governor and president of the Republic.

Voting will take place from 8 am to 5 pm, Brasília time. To vote, it is not necessary to present your voter registration card: an official document with a photo is enough.

In Greater São Paulo, city halls also prepared special operations for Sunday. There is free public transport in at least 23 municipalities that responded to the survey, in addition to fleet reinforcement in several cities. Free public transport on voting days is determined by resolution of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).

In the capital, there will be 6,900 buses in circulation, 40% more than on a typical Sunday, and all municipal lines will be free from 0 am to 11:59 pm. The operation will have intervals and fleet equivalent to those on Saturday.

See below what you need to know before leaving home

Schedule and documents

Voting starts at 8am and ends at 5pm. Anyone in line until 5pm will be able to vote.

Voting is mandatory for literate people between 18 and 70 years old. It is optional for those aged 16 or 17, those over 70 and illiterate people.

It is not mandatory to carry a voter registration card. You must present an official document with a photo, such as:

RG;

driver's license;

passport;

reservist certificate;

physical work card;

e-Título, as long as the voter's photo appears.

Official digital documents with photo are also accepted. Birth and marriage certificates and digital work cards are not used for identification when voting.

Those who have not registered their biometrics will also be able to vote, as long as they have a regular title and present an official document with a photo.

Where do I vote?

TRE-SP recommends checking the address before leaving home because the voting location may have changed.

The query can be made via e-Título, in the “Where to vote” option, or via the Electoral Court’s Electoral Self-Service.

What is the voting order?

This year, voters will have to make six choices. The order in the ballot box will be:

Federal deputy — 4 numbers;

State deputy — 5 numbers;

Senator – 1st vacancy – 3 numbers;

Senator – 2nd vacancy – 3 numbers;

Governor — 2 numbers;

President — 2 numbers.

A new feature is a progress bar at the top of the screen, which will indicate the positions for which the voter has already voted and those that are still missing.

Why are there two votes for senator?

Because, in 2026, two-thirds of the Senate will be renewed: 54 of the 81 seats in the House are up for grabs. Each state will elect two senators.

The two votes must be given to different candidates. If the voter repeats the same candidate in the second vacancy, the second vote will be nullified.

There is also no vote for a candidate for a senator: it is necessary to enter the three numbers of a candidate.

Will transportation be free?

Yes. The TSE determined that public authorities must ensure free municipal, intermunicipal and metropolitan urban public transport on voting days, with a frequency compatible with that of working days.

In Greater SP, these cities confirmed free municipal transport:

São Paulo - 0h to 23h59; 6,900 buses and Saturday operations - metro and trains will also be free from 6am to 8pm

Barueri - 6am to 6pm; business day frequency

Caieiras - Free; time not specified

Carapicuíba - 6am to 7pm

Cotia - Zero Tariff now works on Sundays

Diadem - Free; 100% of the working day fleet

Embu das Artes - 0h to 24h; business day frequency

Francisco Morato – Free; fleet and business day itineraries

Franco da Rocha – 7am to 6pm; working day fleet

Guararema - Zero Tariff; business day frequency

Guarulhos - 7am to 6pm

Itapevi - 6am to 6pm; business day frequency

Mauá - All day, from the first trips, around 4am

Mogi das Cruzes - 7am to 6pm; reinforcement mainly in rural areas

Osasco – Free; operation equivalent to Saturday

Poá - 7am to 7pm

Ribeirão Pires - 6am to 7pm

Santa Isabel - Free Route normally + extra vans and station wagons from 8am to 5pm

Santana de Parnaíba – Free; time not specified

Santo André – Free; time not specified

São Bernardo do Campo - 7am to 6pm; working day fleet

São Caetano do Sul - Zero Tariff for residents continues normally

Suzano - 6am to 8pm; business day frequency

Vargem Grande Paulista - Zero Tariff; working day schedules

Itapecerica da Serra and Pirapora do Bom Jesus did not provide free information in the material sent to g1. Another 13 city halls had not yet responded to the survey: Arujá, Biritiba-Mirim, Cajamar, Embu-Guaçu, Ferraz de Vasconcelos, Itaquaquecetuba, Jandira, Juquitiba, Mairiporã, Rio Grande da Serra, Salesópolis, São Lourenço da Serra and Taboão da Serra.

Where will there be changes in traffic?

In the capital, there are no specific closures planned due to the election, but Ruas Abertas will be suspended on Avenida Paulista, including at fairs and branches of the program. At Liberdade, the schedule will be maintained.

Changes are also planned in:

Barueri: surroundings of the Electoral Registry; Alphaville leisure cycle lane suspended.

Carapicuíba: Guilherme Tozzi, Maria Siqueira and Virgíneo Passine streets will only have local traffic.

Cotia: closure of Rua Jorge Caixe, between Rua Guiné and nº 371.

Diadema: blockade on Avenida Sete de Setembro, in front of the Electoral Registry, and on nearby roads.

Embu das Artes: blocking of Rua 1º de Maio, around the Electoral Registry, from 2am on Saturday (3).

Mauá: partial closures in front of electoral offices.

Mogi das Cruzes: there will be blockades on the streets Professor Flaviano de Melo and Dom Antônio Cândido de Alvarenga and restrictions on Avenida Ulysses Borges de Siqueira.

Suzano: changes to the surroundings of the electoral offices in Jardim Paulista.

Vargem Grande Paulista: four streets will have one-way traffic on Sunday.

Francisco Morato, Franco da Rocha, Guarulhos, Itapevi, Poá, Ribeirão Pires and São Bernardo do Campo reported that they do not foresee any closures related to the election.

Schools and health services

Schools used by the Electoral Court will have changes this Friday (2) in several cities.

In the capital, municipal schools that will function as voting locations will not have classes this Friday. It is expected to resume on Monday (5), depending on the organization of each unit.

There will also be total or partial suspension of activities in units in Barueri, Caieiras, Cotia, Diadema, Embu das Artes, Francisco Morato, Itapecerica da Serra, Itapevi, Mauá, Poá, Ribeirão Pires, Santana de Parnaíba, São Bernardo do Campo and São Caetano do Sul. In Mogi das Cruzes, 86 requested units will have remote activities.

Urgent and emergency services will be maintained in the cities that responded to the survey. In the capital, municipal hospitals, emergency rooms, UPAs and Samu will operate normally.

Can I take a cola?

You can — and TRE recommends it. Candidate numbers can be written down on a sheet of paper before the voter enters the polling station.

The advice is to arrive with your ballot ready to reduce voting time and avoid queues.

And the cell phone?

Cell phones can be used at the polling place, including to present digital documents, but cannot enter the voting booth.

Before voting, the device must be left in the location indicated by the poll workers. The ban also applies to cameras, camcorders and other equipment that could compromise the secrecy of the vote.

Can you advertise on Sunday?

Voters can demonstrate their preference in an individual and silent way, including by wearing a t-shirt, pin or sticker.

However, collective demonstrations, approaching voters, leaving the polls and distributing campaign material are prohibited.

The spilling of holy cards at polling places or nearby roads can also constitute an electoral crime, even when it occurs the day before. On election day, irregular advertising can lead to imprisonment for six months to a year — or community service — and a fine.

In the 2024 municipal election, São Paulo City Hall collected 142 tons of waste from the streets in the first round. In 2022, there were 57.1 tons.

I won't be able to vote. How to justify?

Anyone outside the municipality of their electoral domicile can justify using e-Título on Sunday, between 8am and 5pm. The application uses the device's location and does not require proof in this case.