Brazilian voters in New Zealand cast first ballots in presidential runoff

Brazilian voters in New Zealand began casting ballots Saturday in the second round of the 2026 presidential election, the first overseas sections to open. Polls in Wellington opened at 4 p.m. Brasília time, with 3,100 eligible voters. Overseas voting follows local hours, with sections open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Brazil has 918,800 registered voters abroad, who can only vote for president. The United States has the largest contingent with 265,000, followed by Portugal (134,000) and Japan (88,300). Abstention among overseas voters is historically high, reaching 63% in the first round. The current registered electorate abroad has grown over 30% since 2022, reaching a record high since data collection began in 2010.