With the number of voters expressing no party preference rising fast, the party is in danger of slipping into third place in the state.

ECONOMIST: California��s Republicans

Since the return of democracy in 1985, the PT's share of federal deputies has tracked its share of party preference, notes Alberto Almeida, a political consultant.

ECONOMIST: Brazil's next government

He measured not only voters' expressed party preference but also the extent to which their attachment got translated into actual votes (ie, the extent to which Democrats really voted Democratic).

ECONOMIST: Lexington