Brazil's federal highway police will restrict inspections, policing and patrols on federal roads on election days. Voters go to the polls on October 4, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., to choose the president, state governors, senators and federal, state and district legislators. A possible runoff is set for October 25.
The rules come from Joint Ordinance TSE No. 4, signed on September 14 and published in the official gazette, the Diário Oficial da União, on Tuesday (15), according to G1 and the force itself. Under the ordinance, actions by the Polícia Rodoviária Federal (PRF) may not create an "improper obstacle to the movement of voters." Operations must allow voters to circulate freely, protect people traveling to polling stations and be planned to avoid blockades, holds or operations that unjustifiably disrupt traffic flow.
On voting days, stops of vehicles and drivers "shall not be used to check administrative traffic violations that do not pose a concrete risk," the text says. In its official announcement, the PRF says enforcement of such violations is limited to situations posing a "concrete and imminent" risk to life or physical integrity. Any roadblock on a federal highway requires prior notice and justification to the competent Regional Electoral Court (TRE), with alternative routes indicated, except in cases of arrest in flagrante delicto or violations of traffic safety rules.
Coordination with the electoral court
The ordinance was drafted in coordination with the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) and the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), the body that runs Brazil's elections, the PRF said. It complements Article 236 of the Electoral Code, which restricts arrests of voters, candidates and poll workers in the days around the vote. Beyond patrols, the force will provide logistical support to electoral authorities on request, including transport of materials and electronic voting machines and security of facilities, and will coordinate contingency action for extreme weather events.
"Since 2023, the PRF, the MJSP and the TSE have worked together to define the best model for PRF operations during the election period. The result of this first effort, successfully applied in the 2024 elections, helped build a calm environment and contributed to guaranteeing all citizens and citizens the full exercise of the right to vote," said PRF director-general Fernando Oliveira.
The 2022 precedent
The ordinance arrives four years after the PRF defied a TSE order during the 2022 runoff. On election day, the force stopped at least 610 buses carrying voters, according to G1. In December 2025, former PRF director-general Silvinei Vasques was sentenced to 24 years and six months in prison on charges of belonging to a criminal organization that plotted a coup d'état. According to the Prosecutor General's Office (PGR), he worked to block voter transit in areas where the then candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the Workers' Party led in polling. Vasques was ordered arrested by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
The ordinance applies nationwide in both rounds. "The PRF's commitment is to democracy," Oliveira said. The first round takes place on October 4; a second round, if needed, on October 25.