Voter registration systems are fundamental to the functioning and perceived legitimacy of democratic institutions. In recent years, biometric voter registration (BVR) has been adopted across many countries as a technological solution to improve the accuracy and transparency of electoral rolls. This paper examines the political and institutional consequences of the introduction of BVR in Brazil, focusing on how it reshaped the composition of the electorate, citizens’ trust in democratic institutions, and local fiscal priorities. Using municipality-level data and nationally representative survey evidence from LAPOP, I show that BVR significantly altered the electoral makeup of treated municipalities, reducing the share of voters with low educational attainment and increasing the relative weight of more educated citizens. These compositional changes are accompanied by higher levels of trust in institutions and stronger support for democracy—effects that are concentrated in smaller municipalities, where electoral interactions are more personal and the state is less visible. Finally, I provide suggestive evidence that the reform also influenced local government spending, with treated municipalities reallocating resources toward categories that better reflect their evolving voter composition. Together, these findings suggest that biometric voter registration not only improved the integrity of electoral records but also contributed to strengthening democratic legitimacy and reshaping the local political equilibrium.

(abstract coming soon)

Indigenous populations in the Americas, while comprising a minority, exert significant control over extensive demarcated territories. In Brazil, indigenous communities govern approximately 15% of the national territory and nearly 25% of the Amazon rainforest. However, the influence of indigenous political representation on environmental outcomes remains poorly understood. This paper examines the effects of electing an indigenous politician to the city council, leveraging close elections as a natural experiment. Regression discontinuity estimates suggest a substantial reduction in deforestation rates in municipalities that narrowly elected an indigenous councillor compared to otherwise similar areas. These effects are particularly pronounced in locations with larger indigenous populations and greater shares of indigenous territory.

(abstract coming soon)