TRE-RJ opens electronic voting machine to public, boosts security
Event part of the National Week of the Electronic Voting System
On August 3, 2026, the Rio de Janeiro Regional Electoral Court publicly displayed the electronic voting machine. The equipment was dismantled in front of the press and oversight bodies, allowing a detailed explanation of its operation and protection measures.
Presentation of the electronic voting machine to the public
The action was part of the program of the National Week of the Electronic Voting System, whose goal is to consolidate public confidence in Brazil's elections. TRE-RJ president Claudio de Mello Tavares stated that the legitimacy of electronic voting machines "is not a technological convenience, it is popular sovereignty. The electronic voting machine is safe. There is no system in this country that is more open, more inspected and more tested than it. The source code is examined by political parties, the Brazilian Bar Association, the Public Prosecutor's Office, universities, and the Armed Forces".
Physical and digital barriers against fraud
Information Technology Secretary Michel Kovacs highlighted that the machines have seals produced by the Mint, which leave visible traces if tampered with. In addition to the seals, digital signatures, biometrics and continuous audits constitute additional layers of protection, making improper interventions difficult.
Contingency procedure for technical failures
On election day, each section's data are stored both in the machine's internal memory and on external media – the result and load memories. If a technical failure occurs, a contingency media, prepared specifically for the event, transfers the data to a backup machine, allowing voting to continue exactly from the point where it stopped, without loss or compromise of integrity.
Electoral Justice's responsibility in production
Electoral Justice develops the entire technical and security specification for the devices and voting software. The contracted private company only manufactures the equipment, strictly adhering to the required design. During production, even the manufacturer does not have full control; security components require rigorous procedures for the activation of the machines after they leave the factory.
Position on returning to paper voting
Kovacs was asked about the possibility of reinstating paper voting. He recalled that the electronic voting machine was introduced in Brazil in 1996 to eliminate the systematic fraud of the printed ballot era, citing cases of missing votes and alterations on ballots. He also emphasized that paper tallying is extremely costly, time-consuming, and vulnerable to human errors or intentional tampering of spreadsheets.
With information from Agência Brasil.
Source: Agência Brasil