Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Extends Voting by Two Hours Amid Election Controversy
Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice extends voting by two hours, angering electoral court and political figures.
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Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin, Lula’s former personal attorney, made a last-minute decision to extend voting by two hours on October 25 during the presidential runoff, sparking outrage among the Superior Electoral Court (TSE). The move, which came just one minute after polls were scheduled to close, was made on the request of Lula’s campaign, despite opposition from all TSE ministers.
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Zanin’s decision followed complaints from Lula’s team about public transport issues, initially focused on cities in Bahia and later expanded. Flavio Bolsonaro’s team had requested a more limited extension in certain states due to heavy rains and flooding, but the TSE remained hesitant to intervene. TSE President Kassio Nunes Marques had signaled he would not act and was still gathering information, while the court as a whole preferred to stick to the statutory hours.
With the TSE remaining silent, Lula’s campaign turned to the Supreme Federal Court (STF), where Zanin, known as “Lula’s justice” for defending him in the Lava Jato cases, delivered the decision. Just two hours before polls were set to close, Lula was seen on national television having a meltdown, amid concerns that his supporters were being prevented from reaching polling stations.
🚨 HOLY SMOKES IT ALL MAKES SENSE. 2 hours before poll close, Lula was having a MELTDOWN and crying on national TV worrying that his voters were somehow blocked from the polling places
The original order applied nationwide, even though many polling stations were already closing their doors. The decision immediately generated confusion because electronic voting machines in numerous locations had already been shut down, and election officials had begun closing their polling stations. Zanin subsequently clarified that his extension applied only to polling locations where the electronic voting machines had not yet been closed, and the TSE officially confirmed that interpretation.
“Everyone at the TSE is very angry with Zanin, saying he could not have made this decision with half an hour of voting left,” one TSE minister told Brazilian journalist Malu Gaspar. “The impression is that Zanin has never seen an electronic ballot box live, that he does not know that after it emits the voting report, it is mechanically impossible to reopen the urna.”
Ministers described a climate of fury and apprehension, fearing that the loser might challenge the results and force a “third round” in the courts. “Nobody knows what is going to happen. Everyone fears that whoever loses will question the result,” another minister said.
Conservative Flavio Bolsonaro called for Sunday’s presidential results to be annulled, calling Zanin’s decision “unacceptable” and the first time in Brazil’s history that a Supreme Court justice had unilaterally changed election rules.
Source: The Gateway Pundit
