Brazil Votes in High-Stakes Presidential Election as Lula Faces Bolsonaro’s Son

Brazil Votes in High-Stakes Presidential Election as Lula Faces Bolsonaro’s Son

Brazil is voting on Sunday in the first round of a tense presidential election. Nearly 159 million people are eligible to vote. The race pits the left-wing incumbent, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, against the far-right Senator Flavio Bolsonaro.

Polling stations opened at 8 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. Brasilia time. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the valid votes, the top two will meet in a runoff on October 25.

Final polls show a very close contest. Datafolha put Lula at 45 percent and Bolsonaro at 42 percent of valid votes. Quaest gave Lula 46 percent and Bolsonaro 45 percent. CNT/MDA showed Lula at 47.8 percent against Bolsonaro’s 42.1 percent. All three polls carry a margin of error of around two points.

At 80, Lula is fighting his seventh presidential election. He is seeking a fourth term and has built his campaign on social programs and closer ties with Beijing. Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. He has promised a hard line on crime and closer relations with Washington.

The shadow of the former president hangs over the vote. Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a failed coup after losing the 2022 election to Lula. His son has pledged to pardon him if elected.

The election also has an international dimension. US President Donald Trump is a close ally of the Bolsonaro family, and Lula has accused Washington of trying to sway the vote through economic and diplomatic pressure.

Voters are also choosing state governors, members of state legislatures, and lawmakers for both houses of Congress.

Sources:
– https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/brazil-elections-2026-update-lula-da-silva-flavio-bolsonaro-donald-trump-us-ties-presidential-elections-results-brazil-news-101791099149714.html
– https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/brazil-presidential-re-election-lula-bolsonaro-results/article71542826.ece