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ELECTIONS 2026: Understand how the vote count defines vacancies for deputies in AM

By 365 Breaking News Editorial Team August 17, 2026 at 08:32 4 min read Amazonas

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In Amazonas, for example, there are eight vacancies for federal deputy. To calculate how many votes are needed, on average, to win a seat, the Electoral Court divides the total number of valid votes by the number of available seats.

If the state had 800 thousand valid votes, the calculation would be: 800 thousand divided by eight.
The result, 100 thousand votes, would be the electoral quotient.

Editorial reading aid based only on information contained in this story and its identified source.

Elections 2026: Understand how the vote count defines vacancies for deputies Photo: Reproduction/Rede Amazônica In the election for deputy, the vote does not choose just one candidate. It also defines how many seats each party or federation will have in the Legislature. The proportional system works like this: the more votes a party receives, the greater its chance of winning seats. In Amazonas, for example, there are eight vacancies for federal deputy. To calculate how many votes are needed, on average, to win a seat, the Electoral Court divides the total number of valid votes by the number of available seats. If the state had 800 thousand valid votes, the calculation would be: 800 thousand divided by eight. The result, 100 thousand votes, would be the electoral quotient. This number serves as the basis for defining how many seats each party or federation will have. After calculating the electoral quotient comes the party quotient. It shows how many seats each party or federation will have. ? Join the g1 AM channel on WhatsApp If a party receives 400 thousand votes and the electoral quotient is 100 thousand, the result is four. In other words, the party wins four seats.

But the choice of names that will occupy these seats depends on individual voting. Under the current rule, each candidate must have at least 10% of the electoral quotient. In the example, there would be 10 thousand votes. This explains why a candidate can have a good vote and still not be elected: if the party does not receive enough votes, the place is not guaranteed. On the other hand, candidates with very high votes strengthen the party and can help win more seats. This is the case of so-called vote pullers — politicians who receive many more votes than necessary to be elected and end up benefiting colleagues from the same party. Federation and party voting In proportional elections, votes are counted for the party or the federation. The federation brings together parties that decide to act together as a single party throughout the term. In this case, the votes are added together to define the seats. Voters can also vote directly for the party, without choosing a candidate. It is the so-called party vote, which is included in the sum and helps to increase the number of seats in the party. Political scientist Ariel Calmon explains: "The proportional vote is given to the party, not just the candidate. The voter helps the party to compose its list of priorities." Mandate belongs to the party Another important point: in the proportional system, the mandate is linked to the party. The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) understands that, in positions obtained in this model, the mandate belongs to the party. As the judicial secretary of the Regional Electoral Court of the Federal District (TRE-DF), Fábio Lima, explains: "In cases of proportional elections, the positions belong, in the first instance, to the party. The party is what made that candidate's access to elective office possible." In summary At the end of the day, it's not enough to just look at who got the most votes. It is the sum of the vote, the performance of the parties and the distribution of seats that transform the results of the polls into representation in the Legislature.