They were the fourth presidential elections held under the military government and were carried out through an electoral college.

The candidatures were defined in September 1973, on party conventions.

The first defined were from the ARENA on day 14 and 15, when Ernesto Geisel was chosen as president candidate, and Adalberto Pereira dos Santos as vice-president.

[1] The Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB) chose its candidates on day 22, when they chose Ulysses Guimarães and Barbosa Lima Sobrinho with 201 votes.

[2] The MDB president declared that "with no popular vote, all solutions chosen will be from the ruling party".