At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Brazil

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Fernando Henrique CARDOSO
• Head of Government: President Fernando Henrique CARDOSO
• Assembly: Brazil has a bicameral National Congress (Congresso Nacional) consisting of the Federal Senate (Senado Federal) with 81 seats and the Chamber of Deputies (Camara dos Deputados) with 513 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 4-year term.
• In the Federal Senate (Senado Federal) 81 members are elected by majority vote to serve 8-year terms*. In the Chamber of Deputies (Camara dos Deputados) 513 members are elected by proportional representation to serve 4-year terms.

* Members of the Senate are elected in staggered elections. In 1994 two-thirds of the Senate (54 seats) was up for election; in 1998 one-third of the Senate (27 seats) was up for election.

Main Candidates in the First Round of the Presidential race:

• Luis Inacio LULA da Silva*
  • Party: Workers Party (PT)
• Jose SERRA*
  • Party: Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB)
• Anthony GAROTINHO
  • Party: Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB)
• Ciro GOMES
  • Party: Popular Socialist Party (PPS)
• José Maria de ALMEIDA
  • Party: United Socialist Workers Party (PSTU)
• Rui Costa PIMENTA
  • Party: Workers Cause Party (PCO)

* LULA and SERRA will advance to the second election round on October 27th.

Last Presidential election:

• The last presidential election held was held on October 4, 1998. Fernando Henrique CARDOSO was re-elected as president with 53% of the vote.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 181,045,592 (2002)
• Registered Voters: 115,254,113 (2002)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 91,635,538 (2002)

·         Is Brazil a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (31 March 1981)

·         Has Brazil ratified CEDAW: Yes (1 February 1984)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: No

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 44 (Chamber of Deputies); 10 (Federal Senate) (following 2002 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 75 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Brazil a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Brazil ratified CRPD: Yes (1 August 2008)

·         Population with a disability: 27,156,838 (est.)