Garotinho vote ruling could hand Ruas Rio victory without runoff

Garotinho vote ruling could hand Ruas Rio victory without runoff
Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE) formed a majority to annul votes cast for Anthony Garotinho in Rio de Janeiro’s gubernatorial election, after rejecting his bid to withdraw an appeal over the denial of his candidacy registration. A left-aligned report likewise characterized the court as having reached a majority for annulling his votes, underscoring agreement on the central procedural development.

The more detailed account says Garotinho, of Republicans, received 274,411 votes, or 3.17% of valid ballots, in the October 4 first round. Those votes had been marked sub judice because the Rio Regional Electoral Court had denied his registration. The TSE’s emerging majority means they would no longer be included in the valid-vote calculation.

That distinction is decisive for the remaining candidates. Douglas Ruas of the Liberal Party finished with 49.27% and 4,271,199 votes, while Eduardo Paes of the Social Democratic Party received 42.76%, or 3,706,984 votes. With Garotinho’s votes removed from the denominator, Ruas’s share would rise to roughly 51%, potentially allowing him to be declared elected without an October 25 runoff.

The reports therefore converge on the likely effect of the ruling, while the detailed account places it in the broader dispute over Garotinho’s eligibility. It says the majority included rapporteur Floriano de Azevedo Marques and Justices André Mendonça, Estela Aranha and Dias Toffoli. Toffoli argued that an absent eligibility condition meant the votes could not be treated as valid, including after polling day. The final electoral result still depends on the official retotalization.

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