Low-income voters most interested in TV political ads, Brazil survey finds

Voters with lower incomes and retirees show the greatest interest in following political campaign advertisements on television and radio, according to a recent BTG/Nexus survey. The free electoral airtime is set to commence on August 28.

The survey data, obtained by Coluna do Estadão, reveals that the population least engaged in the job market, primarily retirees and homemakers, exhibits the highest engagement with political ads, with 77% expressing interest. This figure stands at 76% among individuals earning one to two minimum wages. President Lula (PT) is allocated the largest portion of the electoral airtime during the first round of the presidential election.

Conversely, interest in these political broadcasts wanes among more educated and higher-income demographics. Only 36% of those with higher education and 35% of voters earning more than five minimum wages reported an interest in watching the ads. Overall, 68% of respondents indicated they plan to follow the free electoral time, while 30% stated they would not, and 1% were unsure.

The Nexus poll surveyed 2,003 individuals aged 16 and above via telephone between August 14 and 16. The margin of error is 2 percentage points, with a 95% confidence level. The research is registered with the Superior Electoral Court under code BR-03317/2026. In terms of allocated time, Lula will have approximately 5 minutes and 32 seconds per block, compared to Flávio Bolsonaro's (PL) 4 minutes and 20 seconds, and Ronaldo Caiado's (PSD) 2 minutes and 2 seconds. These calculations are based on the size of the parties within each coalition.