Disincompatibility, convention and more: key dates in the 2026 electoral calendar
The 2026 electoral calendar begins to take on more defined contours from the first half of next year and will be decisive in clarifying the main unknowns of the presidential succession.
Among them, the most anticipated concerns the political future of the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), who will have to decide whether to run for re-election in the largest electoral college in the country or whether to enter the race for Palácio do Planalto once and for all.
The initial milestone for this definition is the period of non-compatibilization. According to electoral legislation, holders of Executive positions who intend to run for another position must leave their positions up to six months before the election. In practice, this means the beginning of April 2026.
From that date on, governors, ministers and secretaries who wish to change positions will have to officially step aside, making public the choice that today is still treated as a hypothesis.
The decision is closely monitored by the financial market, which sees in Tarcísio the name with the greatest capacity for dialogue with businesspeople and investors, in addition to a profile associated with economic predictability. Any clearer signaling tends to produce immediate effects on assets, as has already occurred in other moments of electoral definition.
An eventual departure from Palácio dos Bandeirantes to run for President should cause rearrangements in both the political scenario and economic expectations for 2026.
Next steps
After the decompatibilization phase, the calendar moves to the period of party conventions, when the parties make their candidates and alliances official. Traditionally, these conventions occur between the end of July and beginning of August. It is during this interval that the parties define slates, coalitions and final strategies for the dispute.
Once the conventions are over, the parties have until mid August to officially register candidacies at the Superior Electoral Court. From that moment on, the Electoral Court begins to analyze whether the candidates meet all legal requirements, including eligibility conditions and any pending legal issues.
Also throughout the second semester obligations related to accountability come into play. Campaigns must present partial reports on collections and expenses during the election period, in addition to the final payment, delivered after the election. Compliance with these steps is essential to avoid sanctions and future questions.
The electoral campaign on radio and television officially begins a few weeks before the first round, scheduled for early October 2026.
Until then, the calendar functions as a roadmap that organizes the political game and reduces the space for ambiguity. In particular, the decompatibilization deadline tends to be the decisive moment for responses that today still fuel speculation — especially about who, after all, will be willing to exchange consolidated positions for a national bet in 2026.
