The two main newspapers from each extreme predict different candidates to win the election (Photo credit Eric Stoner)

 It's a big day for Brazil today - there are elections for federal, state and local positions along with the presidential election.  For the first time in South America there are two women running against each other for president along with one other male candidate.  To be honest, I haven't been very interested in the candidates' profiles but I have been very intrigued by the election culture here in Brazil.

These past few weeks have been filled with fireworks, increased traffic because of parades, cars with loudspeakers blasting political propaganda, doorbell ringers at all times of day eager to hand out pamphlets and people lining the streets waving flags of their party.  It's made daily life a bit chaotic, to say the least.



Voting in Brazil is required and this obligation is a frequent topic of discussion in our English classes.  Students are both amazed and interested in how the U.S. election system works especially because it is voluntary.  Here, if you don't vote you have to pay a fine and could never be considered for a government position.  You also have to vote in the place where you were born and if you move you either have to do a lot of paperwork to change your voting location or apply for a proper justification of why you physically cannot be there to vote. 

Political propaganda covers the streets of Belém

Voting in Brazil is famously corrupt and when I ask my students what this means they say that it's because candidates "buy their vote."  They either give citizens money to vote for them or give them free things they can use.  One example I heard was one candidate giving out free pressure cookers but to get the very important and necessary lid to the cooker, you had to show up on voting day and vote for him.  Most of my students choose to vote "Nulo" which means they show up to vote but either leave their ballot blank or just write in nonsense so that their vote doesn't count.

One thing I will NOT miss from Brazil: os "Carros de Som" / Sound Cars

Most interesting for me, however, was the "Lei Seca" or the Dry Law which forbids drinking on the night before and the day of the election to try and prevent people getting a little too out of control (for similar reasons, alcohol is not usually permitted in soccer stadiums as well).  Voting is always on a Sunday here so restaurants and stores stop selling alcohol at around 6pm on Saturday night.  That doesn't prevent people from drinking and having a good time, though, say my students.  Everyone just prepares for the weekend by buying their booze from the supermarket well ahead of time.

Check the news tomorrow to see the results of the Brazilian election!

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