People with disabilities or reduced mobility who do not have their own means of getting to the polling place can count on free transportation in the 2026 Elections in Acre.
Voters in these conditions who are interested in using free transport must request the service by next Monday (14). Registration can be done using an online form or in person at the Organization in Service Centers (OCA), in Rio Branco.
According to the Regional Electoral Court of Acre (TRE-AC), the service is part of the Seu Voto Importa program, established by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) to guarantee the movement of voters who face difficulties in reaching the polls.
According to Renata Pires, accessibility and inclusion assistant at TRE-AC, transport is intended for people who do not have the means to travel and do not have adequate access to accessible public transport. The request can also be made by the voter's trustee, supporter or proxy.
“The Your Vote Matters program was established by the TSE this year, for this 2026 Election, and consists of providing free transport to people with disabilities and reduced mobility who do not have their own means of getting to the polling place”, he highlighted.
The request, however, does not automatically guarantee the transportation benefit. Each request will be analyzed individually and considering factors such as the voter's degree of functional limitations and the existence or inadequacy of accessible public transport.
This year, Acreans will go to the polls to choose president of the Republic, governors, federal and state deputies and senators. The elections are scheduled for October 4th, with a possible second round on the 25th of the same month, in cities with more than 200 thousand registered voters.
When making the request, the voter can present a report proving the condition of physical disability or choose to make a self-declaration. In this second case, it is not necessary to attach medical documentation.
When the request is made by a representative, it is necessary to present the corresponding documentation.
"The attorney will present the power of attorney, the curator will present a term of trusteeship, these are the representation's own documents. These he needs to attach if the request is not made by the voter himself", he added.
Confirmation of transport availability and travel information must be passed on to the voter up to 48 hours before voting. Anyone who benefits from the program will also have priority access to the polling place.
For the president of the Support Center for People with Disabilities of Acre (Capedac), Edvânio Silva, the initiative can help reduce one of the main difficulties faced by people with disabilities on election day: getting to the polling station.
According to him, although there are adapted buses in Rio Branco, the service does not always work properly. Edvânio also reports that the city also does not have enough adapted app-based taxis.
"There are people who live far from the school within the neighborhood. So any distance, be it 500 meters, 1 km, 2 km, for those in a wheelchair, where the streets are not passable, where there are no adapted sidewalks, is already a challenge for us", he stated.
Before the initiative, Edvânio details that he used the transport provided by the capital's city hall for people who need health care. However, the number of vehicles was not enough to serve all voters who needed the service.
"In previous years we had Saúde here in Rio Branco, which is a transport system maintained by the city hall. There are two vans for many wheelchair users to use. So whoever could get an appointment went", he detailed.
According to him, when none of these alternatives were available, the only option was to stop going to the polls.
"When I couldn't even get help from my family, I couldn't go to the polling place and exercise my right to vote. And then I had to justify it at the TRE", he stated.
