MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Free transportation can be arranged for Brazilian voters

De Moraes said voters should be free to choose their candidates

Brazilian voters may have access to free public transportation for the Oct. 30 presidential runoff pitting incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro against the former head of state Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, Federal Supreme Court (STF) Justice Luís Roberto Barroso ruled Tuesday.

As per the magistrate's decision, municipalities and bus companies will be able to offer free public transportation, but those mayors granting this benefit cannot be held accountable for administrative misconduct or electoral crimes.

The court decision came after a lawsuit filed by Rede Sustentabilidade. At the party's request, in the first round, the magistrate also determined that public transportation should be maintained at normal levels and that the municipalities that already offered free transportation in previous elections should maintain the measure.

Rede argued that voting is mandatory in Brazil, but that many voters cannot afford the fare to the polling place, which in many cases is more expensive than the fine for not showing up. The measure also seeks to prevent high voter abstention on voting day.

Meanwhile, Superior Electoral Court (TSE) Chief Justice Alexandre De Moraes underlined Tuesday that electoral harassment in the workplace is a crime to be punished, because voters should have freedom to choose their candidates.

During Tuesday's TSE session, De Moraes said he met with representatives of the Electoral Public Ministry (MPE) and the Labor Public Ministry (MPT) to discuss how to combat harassment by employers to induce workers to vote for certain candidates.

According to De Moraes, harassment is occurring through social networks, through threats of dismissal, statements about closing after the elections, and even threats to withhold the voter's IDs.

“Moral harassment is a crime and as a crime it will be fought. Those who commit the crime will not only answer civilly, but also criminally,” the judge said.

According to MPT, 440 complaints involving electoral harassment against workers were registered in these elections, twice as many as in the 2018 elections.

(Source: Agencia Brasil)