By The Rio Times | Created at 2026-10-04 05:08:25 | Updated at 2026-10-04 06:08:08
1 hour ago
Brazil’s first-round count begins at 5 p.m. Brasília time, and anyone can follow it live from abroad on the court’s own portal.
Key Facts
- The moment Brazil’s electoral court (TSE) starts publishing first-round results at 5 p.m. Brasília time today, Sunday 4 October 2026.
- Your clock That is 20:00 UTC, 4 p.m. US Eastern, 1 p.m. US Pacific, 9 p.m. London and Lisbon, 10 p.m. Paris and Berlin.
- Where The Resultados portal (resultados.tse.jus.br) and the Resultados app, in real time.
- The rule A candidate needs more than half of the valid votes to win outright. If not, a runoff follows on Sunday 25 October.
- What it means for you Nothing to do as a foreign resident. Follow the count from home and expect the first market reaction on Monday.
- Still open How early the picture is clear, and whether a runoff is needed.
When the Results Start
Brazil votes today in general elections. Polling places are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Brasília time in every state, because the TSE unified the hours this year. Anyone in the queue at 5 p.m. still has the right to vote. The TSE says it can begin publishing results from 5 p.m. Brasília time, at the same moment for all states, including the presidential votes cast abroad.
In other time zones, 5 p.m. in Brasília is 20:00 UTC, 4 p.m. in New York and Washington, 1 p.m. in Los Angeles, 9 p.m. in London and Lisbon, and 10 p.m. in Paris and Berlin. It is 3 p.m. in Bogotá and Lima, and 2 p.m. in Mexico City.
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Where to Follow the Count
The TSE’s Resultados portal, at resultados.tse.jus.br, shows the count in real time. A new version of the Resultados app is available for Android and iOS; users of the old version must update it to see 2026 data. The app lets you view the count by country, state, municipality or electoral zone, and shows the share counted, blank votes, null votes and turnout.
Voters can also use the Boletim na Mão function, built into the e-Título app this year, to read the QR code of a polling-station tally and compare it with the totals published by the court.
What Could Happen Next
A presidential candidate wins in the first round with more than half of the valid votes. Blank and null ballots are not counted as valid. If no one passes that line, the top two meet in a runoff on Sunday 25 October 2026, with the same hours. Opinion polls carry a margin of error and are not results.
Voters also choose governors, all 513 members of the Chamber of Deputies and two-thirds of the Senate, so the count has several layers. The presidential race is usually the first to be called, but the order is not guaranteed.
What This Means for Expats
Voting. Only Brazilian citizens vote, so foreign residents have no action to take. Keep your passport or residence card with you if you go out, as usual.
Markets. Brazilian markets are closed today. The first market reaction comes when trading resumes on Monday 5 October. The central bank’s PTAX fixing was 5.2238 reais per dollar to sell on Friday 2 October, so R$1,000 was about US$191. Compare Monday’s fixing with that figure.
Daily life. Expect crowds near schools used as polling places until 5 p.m., and check your city’s notices on local rules.
The other direction. A decisive first round would end the campaign tonight. A runoff would keep it going for three more weeks, to 25 October.
What Is Not Yet Known
We do not know how quickly the count will make the outcome clear, or whether the presidential race will be settled today. The TSE’s figures are the only official source until the court proclaims results.
Sources
- Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (TSE), results release, Resultados portal and app, voting hours and runoff date, 4 October 2026.
- Banco Central do Brasil, PTAX for 2 October 2026 (Olinda API).
More on Brazil: Brazil hub. Related coverage: today’s LatAm Expat & Nomad Daily Guide and Brazil Election Explained Before Sunday’s Vote.
What time do Brazil’s first results appear?
The electoral court (TSE) starts publishing results at 5 p.m. Brasília time on Sunday 4 October 2026, as soon as polling places close. That is 20:00 UTC, 4 p.m. US Eastern time, 1 p.m. US Pacific time, 9 p.m. in London and Lisbon, and 10 p.m. in Paris and Berlin. Anyone still in the queue at 5 p.m. may vote, so the end of voting can run a little later.
Where can I follow the count from abroad?
The TSE’s Resultados portal at resultados.tse.jus.br shows results in real time, and the updated Resultados app is available for Android and iOS. Votes cast for president abroad are included in the national count.
When is the runoff, and when would there be one?
A presidential candidate wins outright with more than half of the valid votes, which exclude blank and null ballots. If nobody does, the top two candidates meet in a runoff on Sunday 25 October 2026, with the same voting hours. Whether that happens is not known until the count is well advanced.
