Kassio Nunes Marques, president of Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE), has reaffirmed the security and integrity of the nation's electronic voting system [1, 2].
These statements come as the TSE works to neutralize disinformation campaigns that target the reliability of the electronic ballot boxes. Maintaining public trust in the voting mechanism is critical to ensuring high voter turnout and the perceived legitimacy of election results.
Marques said the efforts to defend the system are a "tentativa de dar transparência" — an attempt to provide transparency [3]. He said that the electronic ballot box is a "patrimônio democrático" or democratic heritage [4].
According to the TSE president, attacks on the system do more than just spread falsehoods; they actively suppress participation. "Desacreditar é desconvidar o eleitor," Marques said, meaning that to discredit the system is to uninvite the voter [1].
The defense of the electronic system follows a period of heightened scrutiny regarding the digital infrastructure used in Brazilian elections. Marques said the system is reliable and secure, aiming to combat narratives that suggest the voting process is susceptible to fraud [2, 3].
By positioning the electronic ballot as a pillar of democracy, the TSE seeks to shield the electoral process from political volatility. The court continues to promote the technical safeguards in place to prevent tampering, and ensure that every vote is counted accurately [4].
“"Desacreditar é desconvidar o eleitor"”
The public defense of the voting system by the head of the TSE indicates a strategic effort to preemptively stabilize the electoral environment. By framing the electronic ballot box as a democratic asset rather than just a technical tool, the court is attempting to move the conversation from technical skepticism to a matter of civic duty and institutional stability.
