Minas Gerais will have 10% more city councilors in 2013.
For this year's elections, 569 new seats will be created in the City Councils of the 853 municipalities. Montes Claros, in northern Minas Gerais, is the city showing the greatest growth, increasing from the current 15 seats to 23. Betim comes in second, with a 35% increase.
Mines 247 – Minas Gerais will see a 9,35% increase in the number of seats for city councilors in the state's municipal chambers. According to the Regional Electoral Court of Minas Gerais (TRE-MG), in the last election in 2008, there were 7.871 seats. This year, there will be 8.840. Constitutional Amendment number 58 authorizes municipalities to increase the number of seats in the legislature in proportion to population growth. The Constitution also determines, in article 29, that the municipal chambers themselves are legitimate to determine, in the Municipal Organic Law, the number of seats for councilors.
Montes Claros, in northern Minas Gerais, shows the largest growth in the state, increasing from 15 to 23 seats in the city council, a rise of 53,3%. Among the seven Minas Gerais cities that will have a second round of voting, Belo Horizonte, Contagem, Juiz de Fora, and Uberaba will not see an increase in seats. Betim will have a 35% increase in seats, going from 17 to 23. Uberlândia, which will increase from 20 to 27, will be the municipality in the interior of Minas Gerais with the largest number of council members.
The Regional Electoral Court (TRE) has not yet finalized the number of candidates who will be running for municipal council seats in Minas Gerais this year. This information should be released shortly.
Click here and see the number of vacancies in the 853 municipalities of Minas Gerais.