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By marisalgado94

Its past 5pm here in Brazil, meaning that voting for the 2014 national elections is officially closed. My first month in Brazil has also been the last month of campaigning and debates, meaning that from the second we touched down in Salvador, propaganda- political posters, music, banners, and fliers- was absolutely everywhere.

Elections and politics as a whole in Brazil are quite a bit different than they are in the US. In Brazil there are over 20 political parties whose candidates have the potential to fill open seats and positions, not just the typical Democrat/ Republican split that we have in the US. Eleven candidates are on the ballot for the presidential position, but the race has truly been between incumbent president Dilma Rousseff of the Worker’s Party, Marina Silva of the Brasilian Socialist Party, and Aécio Neves of the Party of Brasilian Social Democracy. Earlier in August, the Brasilian Socialist Party’s original candidate, Eduardo Campos, was killed in a tragic plane crash. Prior to the crash, he was extremely popular amongst Brazilians and in many people’s minds, had the potential to not only challenge but beat Dilma and become Brazil’s next president. At this point, it is anyone’s game and if no candidate receives over 50% of the vote, a run- off election will be held October 26th

Voting is compulsory for all Brazilians between the ages of 18 and 70 and optional for those 16-18 and over 70 years of age. From the moment that campaign season begins, people are bombarded with political messages. I can’t get through Imperio (a Brazilian soap opera), walk take the bus to school, or walk along the beach without watching at least half a dozen political commercials, hearing political music being blasted from stereos mounted on top of cars, or having multiple people shove pamphlets at me telling me who to vote for (one of the downsides of being tan and having dark hair... everyone thinks I’m Brazilian).

If it’s been overwhelming for me, it has definitely been overwhelming for Brazilians. Many are politically involved, but most, especially in the community that I live in, are tired of politics. Although it’s been almost three decades since the end of Brazil’s military dictatorship and it is classified as one of the largest democracies (presidential republics) in the world, things still have a ways to go. There are very few Afro Brazilian leaders at the level of the federal government, corruption has made politicians untrustworthy characters, and reforms in areas such as healthcare and education, while progressive in theory, are rarely enforced to the level they need to be in order to be making life better for Brazilians.

As the ballots are being counted, Brazilians waits anxiously to find out the course of their country for the next four years. Will it be another term of Dilma backed by Lula? Will Marina Silva’s quick but forceful campaign have what it takes to win the presidency and be Brazil’s second female president? Will right- winged Aécio Neves put a man back in power and conservative policies at the forefront of the political agenda? In a few hours, we will know. For now, signs are being taken down and painted over, fliers are being swept up, and political jingles have faded into the background. May the best candidate win and here’s to, hopefully, four years of growth, reform, and changes for the better in Brazil.

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