vote is the official manifestation that declares the voter's preference in an electoral process.
Also known as suffrage, the vote is the mechanism that defines the result of an election, representing the opinion and choice of the voter. Typically, the elected are those who receive the most votes in their favour.
Voting is a citizen's right in all democratic countries, as they are responsible for choosing the political representatives of their respective nations. In addition to politics, voting is still used to decide other matters of public interest, whether through referendums or plebiscites.
In most countries, in order to vote, a citizen must have a registration with the Electoral Court in his region and be the holder of a Voter's Title.
The vote can be expressed through electronic ballot boxes (as happens in Brazil) or through ballot papers, but in both cases the voter will have at his disposal the options eligible for vote. But, if the voter decides not to choose any of the available options, he can also opt for a null vote or a blank vote.
See also the meaning of Scrutiny and Suffrage.
Null Vote and Blank Vote
The null vote consists of the voter option to annul their vote. Null votes are considered invalid, that is, they do not directly influence the final result of the election.
The blank vote too is not considered valid and does not influence the final result of the vote.. In the past, blank votes were counted for the winning candidate, but now this practice has been abolished.
As they are not considered valid votes, the null votes and blank votes do not void an election, even if these represent the majority.
Learn more about meaning of null vote.
Direct Vote and Indirect Vote
The direct vote it consists in the direct and equal participation of all citizens in the choice of their political representatives. In this context, votes are secret and have the same weight and value for all voters, without any kind of distinction.
In the case of indirect voting, the choice of political representatives is made based on the deliberation of a select group of people. In this case, there is no total and equal participation of the population.
See also: the meaning of representative democracy.
optional vote
It's when the vote is not mandatory, giving the citizen the freedom to decide whether or not to participate in the election process.
In Brazil, voting is optional for citizens aged 16, 17 and over 70 years of age. For the rest of the population, voting is mandatory.
Learn more about meaning of optional vote.
vote in Brazil
Since the Federal Constitution of 1988, Brazil has accepted the universal vote, that is, the right that every Brazilian citizen (who is within the pre-established norms) has to vote and participate in the choices of interest to the nation.
Currently, unlike in the past, women and illiterate people also have the right to vote, a conquest acquired with the 1988 Constitution.
O voting is mandatory in Brazil for all citizens between the ages of 18 and 70, and optional for individuals aged 16, 17 and over 70.
Due to the mandatory vote, if the Brazilian is unable to vote, he/she must justify the absence of the vote, otherwise, you may suffer some sanctions, such as the payment of fines or the cancellation of your Individual Taxpayer Registration – CPF, for example.
See also: the meaning of census vote.
Justify the vote
To justify the absence of the vote, voters who are outside their electoral domicile must comply with the following procedure in order to avoid penalties:
1st - Fill out the Electoral Justification Application (RJE) form;
2nd - Present the form (duly filled in) together with an identification document with photo to any polling station on polling day.
The voter may also present the form at any electoral registry or voter service stations within a period of up to 60 (sixty) days after the date of the last election.