Bolsonaro’s Allies Move To Criminalize Inaccurate Polls

The New York Times reports:

In the first round of Brazil’s closely watched elections this month, the polls were off the mark. They significantly underestimated the support for the far-right incumbent, President Jair Bolsonaro, and other conservative candidates across the country.

Many on the right were furious, criticizing the pollsters as out of touch with the Brazilian electorate. That response was expected. What happened next was not. At the urging of Mr. Bolsonaro, some of Brazil’s leaders are now trying to make it a crime to incorrectly forecast an election.

Brazil’s House of Representatives has fast-tracked a bill that would criminalize publishing a poll that is later shown to fall outside its margin of error. The House, which is controlled by Mr. Bolsonaro’s allies, is expected to vote and pass the measure in the coming days.

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President Jair Bolsonaro and conservative lawmakers in Brazil are trying to make it illegal to publish polls that later do not match the election results. https://t.co/gi469Ghi7H

— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) October 24, 2022