Brazilians voted Sunday, October 25, in a close presidential runoff between incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, and the latest coverage reviewed had not reported a winner.
Nearly 160 million people were eligible to vote. Polling stations were scheduled to open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time. The runoff followed an October 4 first round.
Bolsonaro received 47.03% of valid votes and Lula received 45.16%, so neither got the majority needed to win outright. Final pre-election polls suggested a close race. Bolsonaro, however, had led the first round by more than 2.2 million votes.
Lula was a left-wing former labor leader seeking a fourth term that would not be consecutive. He faced a right-wing challenger, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. The campaign showed major differences over social welfare, climate policy, public security and Brazil’s relationship with the United States.
The result could bring a major political shift in Latin America’s largest country or extend Lula’s current leadership. The count was still pending in the reports reviewed, so the runoff winner and Brazil’s direction remained undecided.