Electronic vote machine technician configuring Brazilian voting machine

Technician configures the Brazilian electronic voting machine, a device that revolutionized voting in the country since 1996.

About this subject

The Brazilian electronic voting machine, known as urna eletrônica, is one of the most advanced and reliable voting systems in the world. Developed by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) in partnership with the Brazilian Navy and the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), it was first implemented in 1996 for municipal elections. Since then, Brazil has adopted electronic voting for all elections, eliminating paper ballots. The device is compact, powered by an internal battery lasting up to 12 hours, and has no internet connection during voting, ensuring security against cyber attacks. The machine runs proprietary auditable software, which undergoes public security tests before each election. In 2022, the TSE registered over 155 million eligible voters, using approximately 577,000 machines nationwide. Configuration is performed by trained technicians, who insert voting media and run functionality tests. The process is monitored by representatives of political parties and oversight bodies. The Brazilian electronic voting machine is an international reference, being adopted or studied by countries such as Argentina, Paraguay, and India.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the electronic voting machine ensure vote security?

The machine has no internet connection, an internal battery, auditable software, and undergoes public security tests. It also prints a voting report at the end for verification.

Since when has the electronic voting machine been used in Brazil?

It was first used in 1996 for municipal elections. Since then, all Brazilian elections have used electronic voting.

How many electronic voting machines are used in Brazilian elections?

In the 2022 elections, approximately 577,000 machines were used nationwide, serving over 155 million voters.