Brazil's Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (TSE) maintained the presidential campaign spending limit at R$ 133.3 million [1] for the 2026 election cycle.

The decision prevents candidates from increasing their budgets to account for inflation, potentially squeezing the financial resources available for national campaigns. This freeze ensures that the spending ceiling remains identical to the limits established during the 2022 elections [2].

According to the court's decision made on July 1, 2026 [2], the total spending limit is divided between the two possible rounds of voting. Candidates are permitted to spend up to R$ 88.9 million [1] during the first round of the presidential race. If the election proceeds to a second round, candidates may spend an additional R$ 44.4 million [1].

The national electoral court in Brasília said that no inflation adjustments would be applied to these figures [2]. By keeping the teto de gastos, or spending ceiling, unchanged from 2022, the TSE has set a strict financial boundary for all presidential hopefuls regardless of the current economic climate [2].

This regulatory framework is designed to ensure a level of parity among candidates by capping the amount of capital that can be deployed for advertising, travel, and staffing. The lack of an upward adjustment means that the real-world purchasing power of these campaign funds is lower than it was four years ago.

“The TSE kept the campaign spending ceiling at R$ 133.3 million”

By refusing to adjust the spending limit for inflation, the TSE is effectively lowering the real-value budget for 2026 candidates. This may increase the relative importance of organic digital reach and grassroots organizing, as the purchasing power for traditional paid media and services has decreased since 2022.