Voters aged 100 to 108 went to polling stations during Brazil’s first-round election on October 4. Voting becomes optional at age 70, but many older Brazilians chose to cast a ballot.
Several voters over 100 took part in Brazil’s first-round election. The oldest named by CNN Brasil was 108-year-old Maria Eunice de Andrade Guimarães, who went to a polling station in Copacabana, in Rio de Janeiro. In São Paulo, 106-year-old Carmelina Alves Nogueira voted, while 103-year-old Maria Evangelina da Silva Jardim went to the polls in Florianópolis.
Da Silva Jardim was discharged from hospital on Friday, October 2, after treatment for a urinary infection. She asked her daughters whether she could vote. On Sunday, she arrived in a wheelchair and cast her ballot with help from one of her daughters in just over a minute. Her participation was observed by Carlos Roberto da Silva, president of the Regional Electoral Court of Santa Catarina.
CNN Brasil also reported that 100-year-old Celita Aires da Silva voted in Taguatinga, Tocantins, and that 100-year-old Catharina Klock da Silva voted in Itajaí, Santa Catarina. Klock da Silva, who is about to turn 101, arrived with a walker and her grandson. Reports from around the country included voters aged 100 to 108.
According to Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court, 37.4 million people aged 60 or older are eligible to vote this year, representing 23.6% of the electorate. In 2022, the group numbered 32.9 million, or 21.02% of voters. It grew by about 4.6 million over four years. Voting in Brazil is optional for people over 70.