Why did thousands of Brazilian politicians change their race?

Brazil requires electoral candidates to declare their "color/race," picking from among "Black," "White," "Brown," "Yellow," and "Indigenous." A CNN analysis of data published by the Electoral Justice, which organizes elections, shows that one in four candidates who ran for office in a previous election declared a different "color/race" in 2020 from previous such filings.

Since 2014, Brazil has required electoral candidates to declare their "color/race," picking from among "Black," "White," "Brown," "Yellow," and "Indigenous." A CNN analysis of data published by the Electoral Justice, which organizes elections, shows that one in four candidates who ran for office in a previous election declared a different "color/race" in 2020 from previous such filings. The changes in politicians' self-identification reflect Brazil's rich diversity and mirror the country's evolving view on how to recognize and define demographic categories throughout its history. They also coincide with a new electoral rule that directs additional funding and visibility to Black and Brown candidates' campaigns.