Brazilians went to the polls on Sunday, October 5, to elect a new president, with 159 million eligible voters casting ballots in Latin America's largest country. The presidential race is a tight contest between leftist incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Polling stations closed at 5 pm local time, with the first provisional results expected later that day.
Neither Lula nor Bolsonaro is expected to secure an absolute majority, making a run-off election on October 25 likely. Lula, 80, is seeking a fourth term as president, while Bolsonaro is running for the country's top office for the first time. Lula previously served as president from 2003 to 2010 and returned to the presidency in 2023. Flávio Bolsonaro has served as a senator since 2019.
The campaign has focused heavily on crime, the role of the state, and relations with other countries. Bolsonaro, of the right-wing Liberal Party, is campaigning on reducing state services and taking a tougher approach to crime. Lula, of the left-wing Workers' Party, aims to continue his government's social programs and public investment while maintaining a strong role for the state.
Lula and Bolsonaro cast their ballots at polling sites in Rio de Janeiro, with Bolsonaro stating that he is "more than ready to lead this country and restore to Brazilian families, the right to dream again." Jair Bolsonaro, Flávio's father, narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election to Lula and was later sentenced to more than 27 years in prison for an attempted coup.
A total of 12 candidates are running for president, including governors Ronaldo Caiado and Romeu Zema, as well as psychiatrist and author Augusto Cury. However, they are polling well behind Lula and Bolsonaro. In addition to the presidential election, Brazilians are also electing two-thirds of the 81-member Senate and all 513 members of the Chamber of Deputies.
Voters are also choosing governors in the country's 26 states and the Federal District, as well as members of state legislatures. Voting is compulsory in Brazil, with citizens required to cast a ballot. The election is taking place amid a deeply polarized country, with Lula and Bolsonaro representing opposing ideologies.
The outcome of the election will have significant implications for Brazil's future, with Lula seeking to continue his government's policies and Bolsonaro proposing a different approach. The run-off election on October 25 will determine the country's next president if no candidate secures an absolute majority.
Key points
- Lula and Bolsonaro are locked in a tight presidential race in Brazil.
- A run-off election on October 25 is likely if no candidate secures an absolute majority.
- The election is taking place amid a deeply polarized country, with Lula and Bolsonaro representing opposing ideologies.
