Plebiscite on the dismemberment of municipalities in Paraná with voting at the polls will be unprecedented in the country

The plebiscite that will define the dismemberment and transfer of the Alto Mirim Community area, which currently belongs to Chopinzinho, to the municipality of São João, in Paraná, will be held together with the 2nd round vote, next Sunday (25). This will be the first time that a public consultation of this type will be carried out at the polls.

According to the Regional Electoral Court of Paraná (TRE-PR), the first plebiscite of its kind in the country was regulated by TRE-PR in Resolution No. 985/2026, materializing the prediction about the possibility of dismemberment of municipalities contained in art. 18, § 4, of the Federal Constitution, but which was only ordered in 2026 was by Complementary Law nº 230/2026.

On the day of the 2nd round, in addition to voting for the Presidential candidate, voters in the cities of Chopinzinho and São João will also answer whether they are in favor of the separation and transfer of the Community of Alto Mirim. By draw, it was decided that number 1 would correspond to the answer "no" and number 2 would correspond to the answer "yes".

As voting will take place at the polls, it will be possible to check the results of the popular plebiscite at the Regional Electoral Court (TSE).

The city of Chopinzinho has 16,883 voters eligible to go to the polls. There are 53 Electoral Stations, distributed across 12 voting locations. The city of São João has 33 Electoral Sections distributed in 8 voting locations, which will receive 9,186 voters.

For the plebiscite, the same rules apply as for regular elections regarding mandatory voting: mandatory for people aged 18 or over and optional for illiterate people, people aged 70 or over and for those aged 16 and 17.

Supplementary election in Paraná

In addition to the plebiscite vote, Paraná will also have a city with a supplementary election for the positions of mayor and vice-mayor. In Santana do Itararé, residents go to the polls to define the ticket that should take over City Hall, after the revocation of the mandate of the mayor, Élcio José Vidal, and the vice-mayor, Joás Ferraz Michetti.

Vidal and Michetti were tried by the TRE-PR court on July 29 of this year. The TRE recognized 'illegal capture of suffrage', or purchase of votes, in the 2024 municipal elections. The case has become final, which means that the process has been completed and there is no longer any possibility of appeal. With that, the TRE scheduled supplementary elections to replace the ticket.

The candidates for Mayor of Santana do Itararé are:

Brunão Mota (PSD) is a candidate for mayor and Thiago Helena (PSD) is a candidate for vice, for the União por Santana coalition (PSD and PDT);

Zé Izac (PT) is a candidate for mayor and Joaquim do Venerando (PT) is a candidate for vice president, for the Santana cannot stop coalition (Federação Brasil da Esperança - Fé Brasil (PT/PC do B/PV), União Progressista Federation (União/PP)).

Voting for City Hall will be held at the same time as the 2nd round, from 8am to 5pm. According to TRE-PR, voters with regular registration and electoral domicile in the municipality of Santana do Itararé who are able to vote in the 2026 Elections are eligible to vote. The exception is for voters qualified to vote in transit in the second round, who will only be able to vote for president.