RIO DE JANEIRO, October 4. /TASS/. Brazil will hold the first round of general elections.

The vote will determine not only the country’s president for the next four years, but also state and Federal District governors. Voters will also elect an entirely new Chamber of Deputies and one-third of the Federal Senate, the lower and upper houses of Congress, respectively, as well as members of regional legislative assemblies.

Brazil elects its president, governors and senators under a majority system, while federal and regional lawmakers are elected under a proportional system. If none of the candidates for executive office wins an absolute majority in the first round, a runoff will be held on October 25.

Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE), which performs the functions of the country’s central election commission, has registered 12 candidates for president. According to the TSE, 158,745,502 citizens are eligible to vote. Voting is mandatory for all literate citizens aged 18 to 69, inclusive. Voting is optional for illiterate citizens, people aged 16 and 17, and those over 70.

Polling stations will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time (11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. GMT). Preliminary results will start coming in shortly after the polls close. The final results are usually available within a few hours thanks to the electronic voting system.