Candidates for president and federal deputy in Brazil debuted free electoral advertising on national radio and television networks on Saturday, August 29. The free campaign broadcasts allow political parties, federations, and coalitions to present their candidates and platform proposals directly to voters ahead of the general election.
Campaign advertisements for executive and legislative candidates will air every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The mandatory transmissions are guaranteed under Federal Law No. 9,504/1997 alongside Resolution No. 23,610/2019 and Resolution No. 23,776/2026 issued by the Superior Electoral Court, Brazil's top electoral authority.
In addition to scheduled fixed daily programming blocks on television and radio, stations must air short spot advertisements throughout the day. These spot insertions run between 30 and 60 seconds each and will be broadcast from Monday through Sunday between 5:00 a.m. and midnight.
Stations must dedicate a total of 70 minutes each day to spot insertions, divided equally among the five offices up for election: president, governor, senator, federal or district deputy, and state deputy. That division guarantees 14 minutes of insertion advertising for each office every day. However, individual parties receive different shares of total airtime based on official calculations that distribute 10 percent of time equally among eligible parties and coalitions, and 90 percent proportionally according to party representation in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of congress.
Requirements for Campaign Airtime
Access to free broadcast time requires political parties to formally register their candidacies with the Electoral Court and satisfy the Threshold Clause set by Constitutional Amendment No. 97/2017. That amendment imposes minimum voting performance requirements at the polls for parties to receive official broadcast rights. The final framework was established during a public hearing held by the Superior Electoral Court on Thursday to review the resolution governing the 2026 General Elections Media Plan, which organizes broadcast distribution across radio and television networks.
Electoral regulations set strict parameters for what candidates may include in their free broadcast slots. Parties may air criticisms of opposing candidates, parties, federations, or coalitions during political debates and news broadcasts. All campaign broadcasts and spot advertisements must be produced in the Portuguese language. Recordings made indoors or outdoors may only feature registered candidates, written platform proposals, photographs, campaign jingles, music video clips, or promotional vignettes.
Parties are required to allocate broadcast time among their candidates while reserving specific quotas for women, Black women, non-Black women, Indigenous women, Black men, non-Black men, and Indigenous men. Third-party appearances are permitted only if the speaker explicitly requests votes for the candidate who granted the airtime, and third-party participation cannot exceed 25 percent of a program or spot insertion. Broadcasts may also feature candidate interviews and outdoor footage highlighting government achievements, detailing deficiencies in public works and services, or commenting on legislative actions.
Prohibited Advertising Practices
Electoral law strictly prohibits specific production techniques and content in campaign broadcasts. Programs cannot use computer graphics, special effects, image modifications, photo montages, or animated cartoons. Broadcasts are also barred from featuring commercial brand promotions or product endorsements.
Regulations forbid the broadcast of voter interviews, polling data, or any electoral survey where individual participants can be identified or where data could be manipulated. Networks are prohibited from airing movies, soap operas, miniseries, or other programming containing allusions to or criticisms of competing candidates. Furthermore, free electoral programs cannot be subjected to instant cuts or any form of prior censorship by broadcasting stations.
Reporting Violations Through Pardal
Voters and competing campaigns who spot advertising violations can submit formal complaints using Pardal, an official mobile platform operated by the Electoral Court. Users authenticate their identities on the app using an e-Titulo digital voter card or an official Gov.br account. Electoral authorities keep the identity of all whistleblowers confidential.
Schedule for Presidential and Deputy Airtime
Broadcasts for presidential and federal deputy candidates air on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays in dedicated 12-minute-and-30-second blocks. On radio, presidential programs run from 07:00 to 07:12:30 and from 12:00 to 12:12:30, while television slots air from 13:00 to 13:12:30 and from 20:30 to 20:42:30. Federal deputy broadcasts follow immediately on radio from 07:12:30 to 07:25 and from 12:12:30 to 12:25, and on television from 13:12:30 to 13:25 and from 20:42:30 to 20:55.
Schedule for Senate, Governor, and State Deputy Airtime
Programs for senate, state deputy, district deputy, and gubernatorial candidates air on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Senate candidates receive 7 minutes per block, representing 28 percent of available block time, airing on radio from 07:00 to 07:07 and from 12:00 to 12:07, and on television from 13:00 to 13:07 and from 20:30 to 20:37.
State and district deputy candidates receive 9 minutes per block, accounting for 36 percent of block time, airing on radio from 07:07 to 07:16 and from 12:07 to 12:16, and on television from 13:07 to 13:16 and from 20:37 to 20:46. Gubernatorial candidates also receive 9 minutes per block, or 36 percent of time, broadcasting on radio from 07:16 to 07:25 and from 12:16 to 12:25, and on television from 13:16 to 13:25 and from 20:46 to 20:55.
