Brazil has registered a record 298,239 voters aged 100 or older who are eligible to cast ballots in the 2026 general elections.
The figure highlights the rapid growth of the country's centenarian population amid an ongoing shift in its age demographic, up from just 10,738 centenarian voters registered in 2010.
According to official voter registration data, men account for 152,928 of the centenarians holding valid electoral cards this year, while 143,773 women aged 100 or older are eligible to participate.
Voting is compulsory in Brazil for literate citizens aged between 18 and 70. However, under Brazilian electoral law, voting is optional for teenagers aged 16 and 17, as well as for citizens above the age limit of 70.
Voter turnout among older citizens
Because voting becomes voluntary after age 70, a large proportion of older citizens choose not to participate. During the 2022 presidential elections, nearly eight million of the 25 million voters who abstained were aged 70 or older, with only 45 percent of voters in that age group turning out for the second round run-off.
Despite high abstention rates among the oldest groups, the broader senior electorate aged 60 and over has expanded significantly. Compared to 2022, the number of eligible voters in the 60 and older demographic grew by about 14 percent, reaching 37.5 million citizens.
In response to these demographic trends, civil society groups advocating for senior rights in Brazil launched the Voto 70+ movement to encourage voter turnout among elderly citizens. The organization stated that active voting by older people helps elect politicians with specific policy proposals for the age group, expanding public services and protections nationwide.
Voting preferences across age groups
A research survey by Datafolha, a leading Brazilian polling institute, published on August 21 showed that voting intention for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva increases steadily as voters grow older.
In a first-round presidential election scenario, voters aged 16 to 24 preferred Lula of the Workers' Party (PT) in 37 percent of cases, compared with 31 percent for Senator Flavio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party (PL).
Among voters aged 60 and older, the gap in electoral support widened further, with 45 percent backing the incumbent president compared to 32 percent supporting the Liberal Party senator.
