Internet users joke about the common – and criminal – practice of throwing leaflets with the names and numbers of candidates on the street on voting day
Every election in Brazil is like this: the streets are littered with so-called “santinhos”. For those who don’t know, they are those documents with the candidate’s photo and number. It is a practice that continues to generate strong discontent among voters. This voting Sunday, the scenario was no different: social networks were flooded with a mix of memes and outbursts.
Dirt on saints generates “memes”
It is curious how, despite the regulations, the outflow of saints continues. Less than an hour after the zones opened, there were many cases of people almost having accidents due to slipping.
A Bluesky user shared the story of a lady who almost missed a nasty fall when she stepped on one of these sheets. The indignation among voters is palpable, but it generates cheerful content on the networks. Check!
Gliding on the saints 🤭
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— Madonna Brasil (@madonnabrasil.bsky.social) October 5, 2024 at 6:38 pm
Check out this photo on Instagram
the big day has arrived
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— Dersu Uzala (@dersuzzalla.bsky.social) October 6, 2024 at 00:29
Why does Saintinhos pollution return?
The traditional practice of strewing saints on the streets on election days, also known as “boca de urn”, defies legislation. According to resolution no. 23.610/2019 of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), such an act constitutes a crime for attempting to reach undecided voters. The rules are clear and the consequences for violators include fines ranging from R$2,000 to R$8,000. However, the impact of this procedure demonstrates that sanctions have not been sufficient to discourage the practice.
In addition to the obvious ethical and legal issue, there is also a physical risk. Reports of voters stumbling or even slipping on saints are not unfounded. The amount of promotional material, wet and piled up on the streets, becomes a dangerous trap for pedestrians, especially the elderly and people with reduced mobility.
- Risks of accidents: Trucks and motorcyclists can lose control when crossing these makeshift “racing tracks.”
- Visual and environmental pollution: the streets become chaotic and dirty, polluted by printed materials.
- Waste of resources: tons of paper that often ends up being inappropriately discarded after the event.
Source: Terra
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