Frederico arrived at the polling place in the morning and couldn’t hide how eager he was to get started.
He is 25 years old, has Down syndrome, and has been voting since he was 18. This time, he wasn’t going to cast his vote: he had asked to volunteer and was taking his place as the second poll worker in Section 381, in the Pitimbu neighborhood, in southern Natal. According to his mother, Milena Rocha, the initiative was entirely his own. He greeted the team, introduced himself, and was soon taking part in the tasks.
A few kilometers away, at Colégio Master in the Capim Macio neighborhood, 29-year-old Gabriel Santiago Gomes held the same position in Section 264. He had volunteered with TRE-RN and was later called up for the 2026 general elections. His father, Anailson Gomes, accompanied him to the door that Sunday, October 4.
According to TRE-RN, this is the first time people with Down syndrome have served as poll workers in an election in Rio Grande do Norte. They received training and support, and their work involved helping organize the polling station and assist voters.