Brazil's 2026 Senate Elections: How to Vote for Two Senators and Avoid Nullifying Your Second Vote

Brazil's 2026 general elections will require voters to select two representatives for the Senate, a process that led to millions of invalid or blank votes in the 2018 election. The Brazilian Senate comprises 81 seats, with senators serving eight-year terms. Elections are staggered, with two senators per state and the Federal District being chosen in one election cycle, and only one senator per state in the next. For the upcoming election, voters will be prompted twice by the electronic voting machine to cast a vote for senator. The first vote involves entering a candidate's number, verifying their photo, and confirming. A second screen will then appear for the voter to select a different candidate for the Senate. Crucially, voters must choose two distinct candidates; repeating the same candidate number will result in the first vote being valid and the second being nullified. Additionally, votes for candidates registered in other states will not be counted, and casting a vote solely for a party (legend) is not permitted for Senate elections, as it is a majoritarian system requiring a candidate's number. In 2018, approximately 63 million votes for the Senate were rendered blank, null, or incomplete, a phenomenon termed "incomplete votes," though the exact number of voter-initiated blank/null votes versus errors remains unclear. To vote correctly, voters should select two different candidates, confirm photos before each confirmation, and ensure they vote for candidates within their own state. If a voter wishes to select only one candidate, the first vote will be valid, and the second opportunity can be used to vote for another candidate, cast a blank vote, or a null vote.