At stake in this election:

• 27 seats in the Federal Senate (Senado Federal)

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 simple majority vote to serve a 4-year term.
• In the Federal Senate (Senado Federal) 81 members are elected by simple 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.

* Elections to the Federal Senate are staggered. 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 parties in the electoral race:

• Liberal Front Party (PFL)
• Brazilian Democratic Movement Party
• Worker's Party
• Brazilian Progressive Party
• Brazilian Social Democratic Party
• Democratic Labour Party
• Brazilian Labor Party

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 169,806,557 (July 1998 )
• Registered Voters: 106,076,088 ( 1998 )

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 86,212,065 (1998)

·         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: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 29 (Chamber of Deputies); 6 (Federal Senate) (following 1998 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: 25,470,983 (est.)