Direct presidential elections are held in Brazil as part of the general elections every four years (which has been regular since 1994), typically in October. The current electoral law provides for a

two-round system The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resul ...

in which a candidate must receive more than 50% of the vote to win in the first round; if no candidate passes the 50% threshold, a run-off is held between the top two candidates.Eleições 2018
/ref> Every candidate has a

running mate A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint Ticket (election), ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate ...

who disputes the post of

vice-president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

; prior to 1966, the vice-president was elected separately. The country has held presidential elections since 1891, spanning over a period of several different republican governments and national constitutions. This list shows the winner of the elections and the runner-up.

Old Republic

Presidentialism A presidential system, or single executive system, is a form of government in which a head of government, typically with the title of president, leads an executive branch that is separate from the legislative branch in systems that use separati ...

was introduced in Brazil after the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889, and the first election was held in 1891. According to the 1891 Constitution, the right to vote was restricted to men over 21 years old who were not illiterate, homeless or enlisted-rank soldiers. The elections for president and vice-president were held separately and the same person could be a candidate for both. Overall, only a small portion of the population voted. Since

coronelism Coronelism, from the term ''Coronelismo'' () was the Brazilian political machine during the Old Republic (1889–1930), also known as the "rule of the coronels", responsible for the centralization of the political power in the hands of a loca ...

was common, the colonel elites often persuaded people to vote for certain candidates.

1891

The very first president was elected indirectly by the Congress.

1894

From 1894 on, elections were held every four years.

1898

1902

1906

1910

1914

1918

1919

Since Rodrigues Alves, the President-elect, caught the

Spanish flu The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...

and died before taking office, a new election was held in 1919.

1922

1926

1930

Vargas Era The Vargas Era (Portuguese: ''Era Vargas''; ) is the period in the history of Brazil between 1930 and 1945, when the country was governed by president Getúlio Vargas. The period from 1930 to 1937 is known as the Second Brazilian Republic, and ...

With the

Revolution of 1930 The Revolution of 1930 () was an armed insurrection across Brazil that ended the Old Republic. The revolution replaced incumbent President Washington Luís with defeated presidential candidate and revolutionary leader Getúlio Vargas, concludi ...

, the country was governed until 1930 by a military triumvirate, while

Getúlio Vargas Getúlio Dornelles Vargas (; 19 April 1882 – 24 August 1954) was a Brazilian lawyer and politician who served as the 14th and 17th president of Brazil, from 1930 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1954. Due to his long and controversial tenure as Brazi ...

was the ''de facto'' president (officially President of the Provisional Government). The new Constitution predicted that the first president would be chosen by the Congress in an indirect election.

1934

A second election was scheduled for 1938, but it did not happen due to the 1937 coup d'état, under which another Constitution was written.

Second Republic

After Vargas was forced to resign in 1945, a new state was born under a

democratic constitution Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which people, the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation ("direct democracy"), or to choo ...

written in 1946. The new Constitution provided for direct elections every 5 years for both president and vice-president.

1945

1950

1955

1960

Military rule

With the 1964 military coup d'état, the direct democracy ended and presidents (who were all members of military, except for the last one) were now elected by the Congress.Ato Institucional Nº 1, 9 de abril de 1964
/ref> The interval between elections was irregular.

1964

1966

With the

two-party system A two-party system is a political party system in which two major political parties consistently dominate the political landscape. At any point in time, one of the two parties typically holds a majority in the legislature and is usually referre ...

, only

ARENA An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

and

MDB MDB may refer to: Computing * .mdb, a file-extension used in certain versions of Microsoft Access databases * MDB, a kernel debugger for the Linux kernel. * MDB, the NASDAQ ticker symbol for MongoDB, a database management system. * Message Drive ...

could dispute elections. President and vice-president were now part of the same

ticket Ticket or tickets may refer to: Slips of paper * Lottery ticket * Parking ticket, a ticket confirming that the parking fee was paid (and the time of the parking start) * Toll ticket, a slip of paper used to indicate where vehicles entered a tol ...

. The 1966 and 1969 elections had only one candidate.

1969

First election under the 1967 Constitution.

1974

1978

1985

The two-party system ended in 1979 and many other parties were created. This was the last election under the military regime.

New Republic

Under the current Constitution enacted in October 1988, elections are held every four years (except for the first one, which was held five years before the second to match the centenary of the Proclamation of the Republic) and citizens elect a ticket for both president and vice-president. Voting is mandatory for men and women between 18 and 70 years old who are not illiterate, and optional for people aged 16–17, over 70, and illiterates.