Electoral Court answers Armed Forces on electronic voting system

The Superior Electoral Court said on Monday that it has sent a 700-page document in response to issues raised by the Armed Forces regarding Brazil’s electronic voting system. Chief Electoral Justice Luís Roberto Barroso said the entirety of the document will remain classified for security reasons.

The situation is odd, to say the least, considering that the Armed Forces have no involvement in the security of voting machines. Their decision to question the system, however, raises questions around President Jair Bolsonaro’s strategy to discredit Brazil’s electoral apparatus — which he has for years accused of being “rigged.”

Many political observers fear Mr. Bolsonaro may try and barricade himself in office if he loses a contested election in October — this concern led a group of businessmen critical of the left to nevertheless urge voters to elect center-left former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in a first-round vote.

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