The Quaest survey commissioned by GLOBO and TV Globo reveals that the absence of candidates in televised debates has a significant impact among voters who self-identify as independents, who do not define themselves as either left or right. In this group, 45% said they "want to vote less" for absent candidates in TV confrontations, while 50% said the absences don't impact their voting decision.
In the population as a whole, 57% of respondents said that absence from debates "doesn't affect" their voting decision. Only 37% said they "would want to vote less" for candidates who avoid direct confrontation in televised debates.
Voters who support Lula and Bolsonaro tend to show themselves less affected by the absence of candidates in debates. This data is considered relevant for this year's presidential race, since independents are seen as a key segment for the election.
