Brazilian migrants create hitchhiking platform to encourage voting

Dbrazilians living in Europe have created a platform that links voters abroad who need transportation or accommodation to whom they can offer help, to combat abstention and encourage participation in the second round of presidential.

“ Those who want to vote do not fail to vote because they have no money for the ticket or because they do not have the possibility to book a hotel,” Lusa Tamara Menezes, 45 years old, told one of the creators of the Voto No Frontiers platform, residing in Munich, Germany.

Born in Rio de Janeiro and living in Europe for 11 years, Tamara Menezes created the platform with a friend living in Copenhagen, Denmark, and already brings together about 600 subscribers, allowing about 100 crosses between people who need help and others available to provide it.

“ Most of the people are from Europe, there are some people in North America, some people in South America and Asia-Oceania, but most are really in Europe,” he said, referring to the second round of presidential events that will take place on October 25 between the current Brazilian President, Lula da Silva, and Flávio Bolsonaro.

The initiative seeks to combat abstention among Brazilians abroad, helping to overcome the costs and distances that separate Brazilians from the places of voting.

In the first round of the Brazilian general elections of 2026, the total abstention reached 21,08%, with more than 33 million voters not attending the polls.

“The appeal I make is to vote, go vote, go vote,” Tamara said, arguing that “even outside the country, it is important to participate in political life.”.

In the first round of the elections on October 4, the abstention among Brazilians enrolled to vote abroad reached 62.69% in the first round, the highest rate of the last five presidential elections, with about 574,000 voters absent from the polls.

Of the 916 thousand registered voters, only about 342,000 voted, according to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), and among the valid votes abroad, Lula da Silva obtained 47.6%, ahead of Flávio Bolsonaro, with 43.5%.

“ I'm a left-wing person, I have a side, but the platform, it's open to anyone. We do not ask who the person votes, why the person wants to vote, we only ask who wants to help and who needs help ", highlighted the platform creator.

Tamara added “I would very much like all these people to vote for Lula, but in practice it is an open tool for everyone”.

“ We only recommend that people who have a bias, that they ask and match each other, whether or not it combines, whether it works or not, give a ride or land in these conditions ", detailed.

Flávio Bolsonaro was the most voted candidate in the first round of Brazilian presidential, with 47.14% of the valid votes, against 45.03% of Lula da Silva.

The two compete for the second round on October 25.