A survey carried out by the Observa DF research group, linked to the University of Brasília, shows that residents of the Federal District say they are "disappointed" and pessimistic about politics.
According to the report released this week:
36% of voters in the capital say they are very interested or interested in politics;
38% say they are not very interested;
26% say they are not at all interested.
Data from the Latin American Public Opinion Project (Lapop) indicate that, in Brazil, the average number of voters with "a lot or some" interest in politics is 53%. In other words: the average national interest in politics is 17 percentage points higher than the DF results.
Focus on campaigns
Despite the pessimistic scenario regarding politics, the Federal District, seat of the Republic's powers, shows greater interest in the electoral period.
According to the survey, 41% of respondents say they have a lot or some interest in the campaigns.
To g1, one of the coordinators of the survey, political scientist and professor at the University of Brasília (UnB) Lucio Rennó, explains the contrast between the interest in elections and the dismay with politics in general.
"This has to do with a certain discouragement that comes from the intensification of conflicts caused by a sharp polarization. The political discussion has become very conflictive, divided into two very clear groups, and this in a way keeps people away from the debate, because this debate is very based on disagreement and aggression. So it keeps people from getting involved and engaged", observes Rennó.
Lucas Faria, 22 years old, says that his lack of interest in politics began when he realized that he could not find candidates who represented his values.
According to him, proposals tend to be repeated and polarization has worsened this scenario.
"I feel like the scenario is very divided, you know? It's very polarized, so the majority only sees two sides and we end up continuing in the same spiral. We could look for something new, but that's usually the argument, right? That only two sides can win, so you have to use the useful vote", says the physical education student.
Fewer voters in in-person campaigns
Despite polarization and disenchantment with politics, news consumption on the topic remains high.
The survey shows that 41% of respondents follow political information daily, the same percentage recorded for interest in electoral campaigns.
Direct participation in campaign activities is lower. The survey shows that 33% of voters did not follow the elections very closely.
"The electoral campaign process has been changing. People today no longer engage in face-to-face activities as much. So, going to a rally, using campaign material, participating in a meeting, all of these activities are less frequent than if you alone seek information on television, in traditional media, on the internet", explains Rennó.
According to the researcher, the survey shows a change in the way voters relate to campaigns.
"The [electoral] campaign is changing, and I think our research captures this change too", he adds.
Social networks and information bubbles
According to the report, the means most used by Brasilia residents to find out about politics are:
the news, cited by 36% of those interviewed;
social networks, mentioned by 28% – in this group, 40% mentioned Instagram.
Law student Sofia Melo, 22, also reports frustration with the electoral campaign. Like Lucas, she notices a growing lack of interest among voters in the political process.
"Looking at the election campaigns, the campaign materials, the debates, which, honestly, I stopped following a month ago. I feel that the candidates are not interested in debating public policies."
For Sofia, polarization harms the exchange of ideas and hinders the formation of political awareness among voters. "The [polarized] debate is very harmful to the formation of political awareness within the population."
The report also points out that young people are among the groups most susceptible to so-called information bubbles, due to their greater degree of connection with social networks.
Information bubbles are a phenomenon associated with the functioning of digital platforms. Algorithms tend to prioritize content aligned with users' interests and preferences, which reduces contact with divergent opinions and reinforces existing perceptions.
Despite this scenario, Sofia states that she seeks information mainly from the professional press.
"Because you can't trust what you receive from friends, from acquaintances, because we already know, right? Repeatedly, that there is an industry of fake news, of biased news."
Research indicates that distrust is also reflected in conversations about politics.
When asked about how the dialogues regarding the electoral campaign have been:
44% of respondents classified these conversations as stressful or frustrating;
28% said they were interesting and informative;
28% said they did not talk about politics.
Positive feelings regarding the political scenario also appear, but to a lesser extent. Only 36% of those interviewed said they felt hopeful and 29% enthusiastic about Brazilian politics.
The search
The survey interviewed a thousand voters residing in the Federal District between the 7th and 15th of September 2026. The sample was distributed across 29 collection points, grouped into five income ranges in the administrative regions of the DF, from the highest to the lowest income.
The survey has a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of approximately 3.1 percentage points.
