Elections in the First Republic: an alternative approach about popular participation

Abstract

This article analyzes the elections held in the Brazilian First Republic (1889-1930), highlighting popular participation in presidential elections. The approach differs from much of the studies already written about the political history of the Brazilian republican regime, on its first phase. We are interested in understanding why citizens no longer participate in the process of choosing their representatives. Along the period, voting was not an obligation, but a right to be exercised for those who were interested. This characteristic imposed a different logic to the political field, and especially to the political campaigns. It was up to candidates to attract their constituents, which was not always under duress, as part of historiography has already stated. So getting voters to the polls was a challenge. For the purposes of this article, four presidential elections in four federated units were analyzed through research on Congressional Diaries, the Press, and historical IBGE demographics. purposes of this article, four presidential elections in four federated units were analyzed through research on Congressional Diaries, the Press, and historical IBGE demographics.