Nature Communications, Published online: 05 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-72990-9 Affective polarization is hard to assess where partisan affiliation is weak, and negative identities, multiparty, person-centric politics are common. Here, the authors provide measures around the 2022 elections in Brazil, and provide experimental evidence that affective polarization can be reduced through correcting misperceptions of group stances on single controversial policies.