Amazon Drought: Brazil’s Election Court Lines Up Backup Polling Sites Before Sunday
ELECTIONS · BRAZIL
Key Facts
- —The country Brazil votes on Sunday 4 October 2026. More than 158 million voters are eligible, Agência Brasil reported on 29 September. A runoff for president and governors is set for 25 October.
- —What happened On 29 September, electoral court (TSE) president Kassio Nunes Marques said the Amazon drought worries the court. Rivers are the main access to many northern polling stations.
- —Who is involved The TSE, the regional electoral courts (TREs) and the Armed Forces. A new national climate room links weather, geology and civil-defence agencies.
- —What it means for you Northern voters should confirm their polling place in the free e-Título app or on the electoral court website. Any move needs a formal decision by the electoral authority.
- —Still open Whether any polling place actually moves for round one. Amazonas officials say no; their bigger worry is a possible runoff after 21 more days of falling rivers.
The Amazon drought could complicate access to some polling stations in Brazil’s North before Sunday’s vote, the country’s electoral court warned. Rivers are the main roads to many communities, and they are falling fast.
The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) has set up a national climate situation room. Its toolkit includes backup polling sites and emergency routes. In Amazonas, the state electoral court says first-round logistics remain on plan.
What the electoral court said
TSE president Kassio Nunes Marques raised the issue at Tuesday night’s plenary session, Agência Brasil and Folha BV reported. “The drought in the North region concerns us, because the rivers are access routes,” he said.
“If they dry up, we need help from the Armed Forces to set up the polling stations,” he added. He also said more than 90 percent of electronic voting machines were ready.
He named drought-hit towns in the North and municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul, where heavy rain may force polling-place changes. Folha BV noted that any move must be decided by the competent electoral authority.
His remarks came alongside other election-week rules, covered in Brazil Election Rules: Voter Arrest Ban to 6 October, 90% of Machines Ready. This article looks at the drought side in detail.
How low the Rio Negro has fallen
The Rio Negro stood at 18.88 metres at the Port of Manaus on Wednesday 30 September, daily port readings show. That is 9.63 metres below this year’s peak of 28.51 metres, reached in late June.
It is still well above the record low of 12.11 metres, set on 9 October 2024. The Geological Service of Brazil (SGB) and research institute Inpa project a low of 13 to 16 metres, Segundo a Segundo reported.
Low water already affects freight. In Itacoatiara, ships have begun moving cargo onto barges so that smaller vessels can finish the run to Manaus.
The backup plan for the Amazon drought
The TSE’s National Climate Situation Room pools data from the weather institute Inmet, the SGB and civil-defence bodies. It can issue risk maps, technical bulletins and emergency recommendations, according to a court statement carried by TNH1.
Listed measures include reserve polling places, emergency transport routes, backup communications and guidance for poll workers. The room does not replace the regional electoral courts, which know their own routes and weak points.
Why Amazonas says the first round is on track
On 16 September the Amazonas regional electoral court (TRE-AM) said the dry season will not affect round one, A Crítica reported. Water levels are “not as critical as in 2024,” election manager Marcelo Sussuarana said.
Routes with the security forces are fixed, and army aviation and the air force are on standby. Some teams were due to leave early for remote communities, on 28 September.
On 21 September Amazonas declared a 180-day drought emergency covering all 62 municipalities, G1 reported. The state expects up to 648,000 people to be affected.
Electoral officials said emergency status does not by itself mean election logistics are affected. Shallow-draught boats, motorcycles and helicopters are available where needed.
What voters should do
Voters can check their polling place in the free e-Título app or on the electoral court website. In Roraima, 50 polling places already changed address for 2026, mostly because of building works, Folha BV reported.
Foreign residents with Brazilian voter registration face the same routine. Hours and other practical rules are in Brazil Votes on Sunday: Hours, Alcohol Rules and What Expats Need to Know.
What Is Not Yet Known
The TSE has not said whether any northern polling place will move for Sunday. Nor has it said how many voters live in the worst-hit areas. Rainfall over the coming weeks is the main unknown.
Amazonas officials say their biggest concern is a possible runoff on 25 October, after 21 more days of falling rivers. The SGB warns that below-normal rain could prolong the decline of the Negro, Solimões and Tapajós.
Sources: Folha BV, 30 Sep 2026; Agência Brasil, 29 Sep 2026; TNH1 (TSE statement), 30 Sep 2026; A Crítica, 17 Sep 2026; Porto de Manaus river level, 30 Sep 2026; G1, 25 Sep 2026; Tefé News, 29 Sep 2026; Segundo a Segundo, 30 Sep 2026; Folha BV, 28 Sep 2026.
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