By unanimous vote, the Supreme Federal Court (STF) decides to maintain the number of deputies in 2026.
The Court confirms that the Chamber will have 513 members in the next elections, postponing changes until 2030.
247 - The Supreme Federal Court (STF) unanimously decided this Wednesday (1st) that the 2026 elections will maintain the current number of federal deputies: 513 parliamentarians. The decision was concluded after the majority had already been formed on Tuesday (30). All ministers of the Court followed the vote of the rapporteur, Luiz Fux, who determined that any expansion in the number of seats can only be valid from 2030 onwards. The information is from CNN Brazil.
The measure fulfills a request from the president of the National Congress, Senator Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP), to avoid changes on the eve of the next election. The injunction granted by Fux confirms that the current rules remain valid until the legislative process on the subject is concluded.
Congressional request and political impact
The Senate's request, supported by the Speaker of the House, was reinforced by the political context: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's (PT) veto of the bill that expands the number of deputies is still awaiting analysis in Congress. This uncertainty, according to the ministers, would make the application of new rules in 2026 unfeasible.
Minister Fux emphasized that it is essential to guarantee predictability in the electoral process. "Until the due legislative process is concluded, the result of which can be applied, with certainty and clarity, starting with the 2030 legislative elections," he stated. He also stressed that the definition of the number of seats must be made in advance to avoid legal uncertainty.
Minister Luís Roberto Barroso was the only one to present a vote with reservations. According to him, "it is necessary that the number of representatives for each federative unit be determined at least one year before the elections that will take place in October 2026."
Redistribution postponed
The impasse arose after data from the 2022 IBGE Census indicated population loss in seven states and growth in others. This would necessitate a redistribution of seats in the Chamber of Deputies. To prevent some states from being negatively impacted, Congress approved the creation of 18 new seats, raising the total from 513 to 531.
The proposal stipulated that the new seats would be distributed among nine states, without reducing the representation of the others. However, with the Supreme Court's decision, this change can only be applied from 2030 onwards, if the Legislature finalizes the process in a clear and consolidated manner.
Relief for lawmakers
The Supreme Court's decision was received as a relief in political circles. This is because, given the lack of a decision from Congress, the previous understanding was that the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) would be responsible for redistributing the seats—which could generate regional tensions and insecurity in the electoral process.
