Abstention in the São Paulo election is the highest in 40 years

Ricardo Nunes was re-elected mayor of São Paulo this Sunday (27), in a vote that saw record abstention. This year, the capital recorded the highest absence rate in a second round since redemocratization: more than 2.94 million voters (31.54%) did not go to the polls.

The number exceeds the vote for Guilherme Boulos (PSOL), who received just over 2.3 million votes. Nulls and blanks totaled more than 665 thousand (10.42%), below the 879 thousand registered in 2020, which means that almost 42% of voters did not vote for either candidate in the second round of this election.

In 2020, in the last municipal dispute in which there was a second round, between Bruno Covas (PSDB) and Boulos, registered abstention had already broken a record, reaching 30.81% – that is, 2.77 million voters.

In the 2016 election, João Dória (PSDB) defeated Fernando Haddad (PT) in the first round with an abstention of 21.8%. In the second round of the 2012 election, when Haddad beat José Serra (PSDB), the index was 19.99%.

In 2008, Gilberto Kassab (PSD) beat Marta Suplicy (PT) with an abstention rate of 17.54%. And, in 2004, when Marta was defeated by Serra, the absence was 17.55%. For some analysts, the increase in abstention over the years could indicate a trend of dissatisfaction with representative democracy. The lowest abstention since redemocratization was recorded in 1988 (6.98%), in the dispute in which Luiza Erundina (PT) won against Paulo Maluf (PDS).

Growth

In the first round, on the 6th, the 1st Electoral Zone (Bela Vista), located in the central region, recorded the highest abstention in the city, with 34.81% of voters choosing not to go to the polls. The 397th Electoral Zone (Jardim Helena), in the east zone, had the highest turnout (75.72%).

The highest abstentions in the last four municipal elections were recorded in the 1st Electoral Zone (Bela Vista) and the 3rd Electoral Zone (Santa Ifigênia), both in the central region, and in the 5th Electoral Zone (Jardim Paulista), in west zone. In the first round of 2024, all had more than 30% abstention.