Electoral Court extends deadline for Brazilian Armed Forces to examine electronic ballot boxes

Edson Fachin, president of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) extended the deadline for Defense Ministry technicians to review the source code of electronic ballot boxes.

This is also in line with the wishes of Jair Bolsonaro, who has expressed concern several times about the purely electronic election in Brazil and for whom a thorough inspection by the army is important.

In an Aug. 12 letter to Minister Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, Fachin said the military has until Friday (Aug. 19) to access the inspection room.

In the document, the TSE president also praises the armed forces. “I renew this court’s appreciation, not only for the contribution of the Armed Forces in the framework of the Electoral Transparency Commission (CTE), but especially for the valuable operational and logistical support they provided in all recent elections,” Fachin writes.

Read the list of the 9 military nominees:

• Major Diego Bonato Langer (Air Force);

• Captain Davison Silva Santos (Air Force);

• First Lieutenant (En) Fernando Mascagna Bittencourt Lima (Navy);

• First Lieutenant (Lt) Rafael Coffi Tonon (Navy);

• Lt. Gabriel Heleno Gonçalves Da Silva (Navy);

• Lt. Lincoln de Queiroz Vieira (Army);

• Lieutenant Gabriel Bozza (Army);

• First Lieutenant Yuri Rodrigues Fialho (Army);

• Sergeant Major David de Souza França (Air Force).

On Wednesday (Aug. 10), Nogueira requested the inclusion of 9 military officers in the group that will oversee the security of the electronic ballot boxes. In a letter, the minister asked for an extension of the deadline until August 19.

In the message, the defense minister also said that there is a “constant exchange” between the ministry and the TSE and that the military’s goal is to “contribute to strengthening the Brazilian electoral process.”

The Armed Forces began inspecting the electronic ballot box source code Aug. 2. In addition to Sant’Anna, who was excluded, eight other military personnel made up the inspection group.

The room with access to the source code has been open since October 2021. The consultation can be carried out by the entities that supervise the elections, including the armed forces. Another 8 entities have already requested access since last year.

With information from Poder360

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