The Superior Electoral Court rejected on Monday (9) three suggestions from the Armed Forces for the October elections and affirmed that another four are already in practice. Among other requests, the military asked for an increase in the sample of tested ballot boxes and the release of a report of abstentions and deaths of registered voters.
In the latter case, the TSE stated that the inspection entities can already act if there is evidence of fraud. In other items, errors such as unclear concepts and flaws in the calculations of the military were pointed out to say that there would be a risk of non-compliance in tests of integrity of electronic voting machines.
"The Electoral Justice has historically ensured the holding of fair elections in our country. The success and credibility achieved by the institution in this greater task of promoting democracy establish this specialized Justice as a true intangible heritage of Brazilian society," said the president of the TSE, Minister Edson Fachin.
The demands were presented while President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) has intensified his attacks on the TSE as he prepares to run for another term. Yesterday, the Minister of Defense, General Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, asked to centralize the dialogue between the military and the TSE in the Commission for the Transparency of Elections. There was no response as of the completion of this issue.
In private conversations, members of the court discussed closing the Commission, which was created last year to mitigate friction but has been used by the Armed Forces to prevent the president's attempts to disrupt the elections.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon