Voters without biometrics can vote normally, advises TSE

Voters who have not registered their biometrics can vote normally. According to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), biometrics facilitate identification, but its absence on the electoral register does not prevent voting.

The most important thing when voting is to have a regular electoral status. The rule applies to the first and second rounds of the 2026 elections, scheduled for October 4th and 25th.

Currently, around 10.99% of the Brazilian electorate still does not have biometrics registered, according to the TSE.

How does biometric identification work?

All voting stations in the country have biometric readers integrated into electronic voting machines. For those who have registered biometrics, identification occurs before the vote is released, through a fingerprint check.

According to the TSE, biometrics adds a layer of security to the electoral process and helps confirm the identity of the person qualified to vote.

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What if the ballot box doesn't recognize the fingerprint?

If the fingerprint is not recognized, the ballot box makes up to four biometric validation attempts.

If none of them work, the system adopts another identification procedure: the voter must inform the year of birth.

For those who do not have biometrics registered, the procedure is similar. If the voter is regular, the ballot box will ask for the year of birth.

And who votes abroad?

At polling stations outside Brazil, biometric identification is not used during voting.

The ballot box does not request a fingerprint, but the voter must be regularly registered and eligible on the Electoral Register to vote.

What is electoral biometrics?

Biometrics gathers physical data used to identify each voter. At the Electoral Court, registration includes fingerprints, photograph and signature.

The information is stored in the Electoral Register and can be used to identify the voter both when attending the Electoral Court and when voting.

According to the TSE, biometrics also helps to detect possible registration duplications and makes identification procedures more agile.