In social networks, in mid-August, a rumor began to emerge that voter registration cards in Brazil have a QR Code with the inscription “Lula13” and that when this code is read, a vote for the former Brazilian president counts. .

“The problem is not only the polls, the titles are already marked by the Beast/Lula”, reads a post made on Facebook that ensures that it is needs “care” and who defended that Brazilian voters are being “deceived”.

The publication is accompanied by an image that shows a voter card with the following identification code together with a QR Code: “PKo+.LULA.PTWW.BU8X”. The sequence of letters and numbers allows you to verify, on the document validation page of the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE), whether the document is authentic or not.

Thus, the TSE explained, according to AFP Checamos, that the numbers and letters are generated randomly and that they change “according to the individual document of each voter.” Asked about the complaints that the QR code represented a vote for Lula da Silva, the court denied and said he would not “use the system to express any partisan political position and/or deliver subliminal messages to female voters.”

In addition, the TSE said that the QR code exists only to prove that the voter card is authentic and that it has no function when voting, especially since the ballot boxes do not have a reader for this code.

The tool is not used to count votes,” the Superior Electoral Court told AFP.

The QR Code on the voter registration card is not used at the time of voting and cannot change the election made at the polls. When voting, it is not mandatory to present this document either.

Reuters explains, in a fact check on the same subject, that, in Brazil, the In order to vote, voters must present an “official” document that has a photograph such as the “identity card” (the equivalent of the citizen card in Portugal) or the “national driving license” (the same as the driving license in our country).

The electoral title is one of the documents that identifies the Brazilian voter and, in May 2019, it began to have a QR Code instead of the person’s signature. It was in that year that the Superior Electoral Court began to prioritize the digital version of the electoral credential.

conclusion

Does the electoral title already come with the Lula QR Code? This is not true, since the sequence of numbers and letters in the code is randomly generated and changes according to “each voter’s individual document”.

According to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) there is no link between the QR Code and the vote that each voter casts at the polls. This is because the code is only used to prove that the electoral certificate is true and is not used when voting.

Regarding the accusations that a vote in favor of Lula da Silva was counted, the TSE also denied them and said that it would not “use the system to express any political-party position.”

Thus, according to the Observer classification, this content is:

WRONG

In the Facebook classification system this content is:

FAKE: the main content claims are factually inaccurate. This option typically matches “false” or “mostly false” ratings on fact-checking websites.

NOTE: This content was curated by The Observer as part of a fact-checking partnership with Facebook.