The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) formed a majority on Friday (11) to reject the presidential candidacy registration of businessman Pablo Marçal (PRTB). Four justices voted against the bid in the court's virtual plenary session. The ruling prevents Marçal from running in the October election and restricts his campaign's access to public funds and television and radio airtime.

Reporting Justice Estela Aranha voted to deny the registration based on Marçal's previous political disqualification. Justices Nunes Marques, André Mendonça, and Ricardo Villas Bôas Cueva joined her opinion. With four votes in the seven-seat court, the ruling formed a conclusive majority against the ticket.

The decision reinforces an existing ruling against Marçal, who remains ineligible to run for public office until 2032 under a decision by the Regional Electoral Court of São Paulo (TRE-SP). The regional court convicted him of improper use of communication media during the 2024 São Paulo mayoral election. The TRE-SP unanimously rejected all appeals filed by his defense and upheld the eight-year ban.

The Electoral Public Prosecutor's Office (MPE) also challenged the timing of Marçal's party affiliation with the PRTB. The prosecution established that Marçal was publicly affiliated with the União Brasil party in April, the statutory deadline six months prior to the general election.

"It is uncontroversial that searches across open internet sources demonstrate, in a convergent manner, that challenged candidate Pablo Marçal (...) presented himself publicly as an affiliated member of the União Brasil party."

The MPE also requested an immediate ban on public campaign funding transfers and the suspension of free television and radio campaign broadcasts. The virtual plenary session remains open for the remaining three TSE justices to record their votes ahead of the official certification of the final result.