Brazil court bars voters who didn't register fingerprints

[Judi Lynn]

Mauricio Savarese, Associated Press
Updated 6:28 pm CDT, Wednesday, September 26, 2018

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's highest court ruled Wednesday that 3.4 million people cannot vote in next month's national elections because they failed to register their fingerprints with authorities, a move that could affect the crowded presidential race.

All voting is electronic in Brazil, and since 2016 voters have had to register their fingerprints to cast ballots under a biometric voting system.

On a 7-2 vote, the justices found it would be impossible to drop the requirement for biometric identification less than two weeks before the Oct. 7 elections. Two judges abstained.

Critics say authorities didn't properly inform Brazilians of the requirement, so many failed to register their fingerprints.

Justice Luis Roberto Barroso said it was impossible to say the population was not informed about the need to register fingerprints to vote.

https://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Brazil-court-bars-voters-who-didn-t-register-13261111.php

(Short article, no more at link.)