Internal disputes over ballot numbers spark clashes

The start of the electoral campaign marked the end of internal disputes within Brazilian political parties over defining candidates' ballot numbers. The issue sparked clashes and led to discussions within the PT and the PL, complete with public criticism and resort to the Electoral Court.

The strategy behind the ballot number

For candidates, the electronic ballot number is considered a strategic issue. Depending on the office being contested, politicians seek sequences that are easy for voters to memorize at the time of voting, especially when composed in a manner similar to those of the main contenders for the presidency of the Republic.

Power struggle in the PT of Rio de Janeiro

The dispute for federal deputy in Rio de Janeiro involved the number 1313 within the PT. Candidates Lindbergh Farias and Marcelo Freixo publicly criticized the decision by Washington Quaquá, representative of the National Executive in the state, to allocate the number to his own son, Diego Quaquá, who is the state party president and a candidate for federal deputy. Lindbergh and Freixo stated in a video that the party needs to respect internal democracy. Quaquá replied that the number had already been used by him and now belonged to the state president of the party. In the end, the national executive's decision prevailed, and the other candidates received different numbers.

Imbroglio in the PL of the Federal District

In the Federal District, the dispute in the PL involved the number 22.222, aimed at the position of district deputy. Current deputy Roosevelt Vilela tried to exchange his previous numbering for the strategic number, but the party gave preference to Eduardo Torres, brother of former First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro. Roosevelt appealed to the Regional Electoral Court of the Federal District, which denied the request and ruled that parties have autonomy to define their strategies. Torres's defense argued that priority only applies when the candidate has previously run with that number.

Number assignment in São Paulo

Other PL numbers were also defined by the party's internal decision for names close to the Bolsonaro family. In São Paulo, the number 2222 for federal deputy went to Renato Bolsonaro, brother of former President Jair Bolsonaro.

What electoral legislation says

By law, candidates' numbers must contain the party code followed by digits to the right depending on the office. The assignment takes place at state party conventions, respecting the internal autonomy of the parties. The legislation provides for preference to those who have already used the number in the previous election for the same office, but the final decision rests with the party, which can use internal criteria or hold a draw during the convention.

With information from G1, Folha de S.Paulo, SpaceMoney.