Polls open in Brazil for the presidential runoff: Lula vs Flávio Bolsonaro

Voting begins amid an even contest

Polling stations opened across Brazil at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 25. Voters are choosing between incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the Workers' Party and conservative senator Flávio Bolsonaro — the eldest son and political heir of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Anadolu reports.

The picture after the first round

The runoff is the result of a competitive first vote on October 4: Bolsonaro then led with 47% of valid votes against Lula's 45%, and no candidate won an absolute majority. On the eve of the runoff, according to a Datafolha poll, both candidates hold 50% of valid votes. According to media reports, the main campaign themes have been the rising cost of living, public safety, and lingering concerns about corruption.

The candidates' backgrounds

Lula, who governed Brazil from 2003 to 2010, returned to power by defeating Jair Bolsonaro in the 2022 election by a margin of less than two percentage points — the narrowest victory margin in a presidential election in the country's modern history. He is now seeking a fourth non-consecutive term. Flávio Bolsonaro entered the race after his father was barred from holding public office and sentenced to 27 years in prison over a planned military coup following the 2022 defeat. The former president's political base remains strong: his wife Michelle Bolsonaro won a seat in the Federal Senate in the first round.

What a Bolsonaro victory would mean

According to Anadolu's assessment, a victory for Flávio Bolsonaro would mean the return of right-wing forces in Brazil and bring the country closer to the broader conservative shift in the region associated with the Trump administration in the United States. More than 150 million registered voters are casting ballots electronically in 26 states and the Federal District. Preliminary results are expected shortly after polls close at 5:00 p.m. Brasília time. Editorial note: with polls this evenly matched, the outcome remains uncertain, and the race itself reflects a polarization confirmed by the facts of the campaign — the narrow 2022 margin and the nearly even split after the first round.

Significance of the event

The election outcome will determine the political course of Latin America's largest country for years to come, affecting both Brazilian voters, for whom the cost of living and security were key issues, and the regional political balance. As early as the evening of October 25, after polls close at 5:00 p.m. Brasília time, preliminary results will become known, showing whether Lula keeps his post or whether the country will be led by a representative of a new generation of Bolsonarists.