coligações

Coligações are temporary alliances formed between political parties in Brazil for electoral purposes. These arrangements are legally permitted and occur primarily during elections for legislative bodies such as the Chamber of Deputies, state legislative assemblies, and municipal chambers. The main objective of a coligação is to increase the chances of elected candidates from the constituent parties by pooling their votes.

In Brazil's electoral system, particularly for legislative elections, parties compete for a set number of seats based on a proportional representation system. This system can sometimes make it difficult for smaller parties to win seats on their own. By forming a coligação, parties combine their electoral performance, effectively creating a larger bloc that can more easily surpass the minimum vote thresholds required for representation. This can lead to more parties achieving representation, but it also means that votes are distributed among a larger group of parties, potentially diluting the impact of individual party platforms.

Coligações are formed for specific election cycles and are dissolved once the election is over. The rules and regulations governing coligações are established by electoral law and are overseen by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE). While they can be a strategic tool for parties to maximize their electoral success, they are also a subject of debate regarding their impact on party system fragmentation and the representation of diverse political ideologies.