The key facts
- Federal police are checking whether carriers may have deliberately cut transport services on election day
- The investigation covers the states of Bahia, São Paulo, Piauí, Sergipe and Alagoas
- Voting was extended by two hours; 0.25% of votes had been counted when the count was suspended
Investigation into transport disruptions
Brazil's Federal Police have opened an investigation into the possible deliberate restriction of public transport services during the second round of the presidential election. Law enforcement is examining the circumstances of the bus shortage in several states at once. This was announced at a press conference by Dennis Cali, head of the department for combating organized crime and corruption. According to him, investigators are trying to establish whether carriers may have deliberately reduced the number of vehicles on routes, thereby preventing citizens from reaching polling stations.
Court decisions and an official's arrest
“In a number of states, regional courts have already issued rulings obliging authorities to guarantee public transport services,” Cali said. The investigation covers the states of Bahia, São Paulo, Piauí, Sergipe and Alagoas. The Federal Police, together with the prosecutor's office and regional electoral commissions, is gathering testimony from employees of transport companies and officials responsible for passenger services.
Judicial intervention in Bahia and other states
In the state of Bahia, the situation led to judicial intervention: the head of the regional electoral commission demanded that all available buses be immediately put on routes in the city of Salvador, and the court issued an arrest warrant for a municipal official responsible for transport. Similar decisions were made by judicial authorities in the states of São Paulo and Sergipe — following complaints from political parties, carriers were ordered to restore urban and intercity routes.
Rain and blocked roads
Additional difficulties arose due to heavy rains. The head of the Federal Highway Police, Fernando Oliveira, reported 27 cases of partial or complete road closures caused by rainfall and flooding; police officers organized detours for traffic. The Federal Police continue to check for possible violations of electoral law — investigators will have to determine whether the transport disruptions were the result of organizational problems or deliberate actions.
Extension of voting and suspension of the count
Earlier, Brazil's Superior Electoral Court suspended the publication of preliminary results of the second round after voting was extended by two hours. The authority decided not to update the data until 19:00 local time so that partial results would not influence voters who were still at polling stations. By the time publication was suspended, the electoral commission had counted 0.25% of the votes. According to the latest available data, incumbent president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had received 57.66% of the votes, while his rival Jair Bolsonaro had 42.34%. Polling stations were originally due to close at 17:00, but complaints about transport shortages and the aftermath of heavy rains led to a revision of the schedule.
Why it matters
The event affects millions of voters whose ability to vote depended directly on transport services, and the partial figures (57.66% for Lula with 0.25% of votes counted) do not yet reflect the final picture. In practical terms, this means ongoing checks of carriers and officials, as well as court decisions already issued — including the arrest warrant for an official in Bahia. The final election results and the findings of the investigation remained unknown at the time of publication.
