This week, we talk about how the 2020 municipal election may be in jeopardy. And how Jair Bolsonaro became the international face of Covid-19 denialism.
Will Brazil be able to hold municipal elections in 2020?
On October 4, Brazilians from all of the country’s 5,570 municipalities are expected to head to the polls and elect new mayors and city councilors. But the coronavirus has drastically upended the 2020 elections — and no one at this time can tell for sure how, and if, this vote will be able to take place.
Timetable. No matter how the outbreak unfolds, the electoral calendar has already been disrupted. Hundreds of electoral courts have been unable to initiate tests on electronic ballot boxes to check for issues with batteries, printing, or the keypad.
- Party conventions are scheduled to happen between July 20 and August 5. Will people feel safe to join an event in what is usually a crowded auditorium? Plus, how are candidates expected to carry out their traditional campaigns — which involve a lot of meeting and greeting?
Election day. That’s not even to mention the election itself. By design, Brazil’s electoral system puts lots of people in the same place, in line, for...