dpa
Rio de Janeiro
Dozens of people have been arrested for electoral fraud ahead of Brazil’s presidential election on Sunday.
A total of 34 arrests were made for attempted election manipulation, the Justice Ministry said on Saturday.
They were part of an operation that has been ongoing since Monday.
Some 3 million reais ($556,000) were confiscated.
On Saturday alone, the day before the first round of voting, 11 suspects were arrested and 90,000 reais were confiscated, according to the ministry. Seven cases involved an attempt to buy votes.
Right-wing incumbent Jair Bolsonaro faces leftist former president Inácio Lula da Silva in Sunday’s election.
Lula is clearly ahead in the polls. However, Bolsonaro has cast doubts on the electoral system in advance and indicated that he might not recognize the result.
The heated election campaign has deeply divided the country. At least three Lula supporters have been killed by suspected Bolsonaro fans in recent months.
To prevent acts of violence during the election, the Supreme Electoral Court banned civilians from carrying weapons between Saturday and Monday.
