Brazilians began voting on Sunday, October 25, in a presidential run-off between incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, in a contest that final polls describe as too close to call.
Polling stations opened at 8 a.m. Brasília time (11:00 GMT) and close at 5 p.m. (20:00 GMT). More than 158 million people are registered to vote, and voting is compulsory for literate citizens aged 18 to 70. The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) starts publishing the count as soon as polls close; in the 2022 run-off, the winner was clear roughly three hours later.
How the race got here
In the first round on October 4, Flávio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party (PL) finished ahead with 47.03% of valid votes, against 45.16% for Lula of the Workers’ Party (PT), a gap of about 2.2 million votes. Abstention reached 21.08%, the highest for a first round since 1998, according to a tally of official figures by The Rio Times.
Lula, 80, is seeking an unprecedented fourth term. If he wins, he would become the first candidate since direct presidential elections returned in 1989 to win a run-off after losing the first round, Infobae noted.
What the final polls say
The last surveys, released on Saturday, put Bolsonaro marginally ahead. Datafolha and Quaest both gave him 51% of valid votes to Lula’s 49%, while BTG/Nexus showed 50.5% to 49.5%. Infobae reported that five polls published on the eve of the vote showed Bolsonaro leading by one to two points, all within their margins of error. In practical terms, neither candidate can claim a clear advantage.
The final pitches
Bolsonaro closed his campaign in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, saying Brazilians were tired of waiting for results under Lula and that people were “on the side of change”, according to Infobae. He has focused on crime, taxes and unfinished public works. He promises to classify the PCC and Comando Vermelho criminal groups as narco-terrorist organisations, to cut at least ten ministries and to repair relations with Washington. He has also pledged a pardon for his father, who is serving a sentence under house arrest.
Lula held a large rally in Copacabana on Saturday and told supporters, “We are going to win the election.” He is campaigning on keeping the current fiscal framework, exempting monthly salaries of up to R$5,000 from income tax and ending the six-days-on, one-day-off work schedule. He stresses national sovereignty and trade diversification at a time when Brazil faces an additional 25% US tariff on most of its goods.
Six governor run-offs are also taking place on Sunday, in Acre, Amazonas, Espírito Santo, Rio Grande do Norte, Tocantins and the Federal District. The president elected today takes office on January 5, 2027, for a four-year term.
What is confirmed and what is pending
Confirmed: voting is under way nationwide, and the first-round figures and final poll numbers above come from official tallies and the polling firms. Pending: no official results will be released before polls close at 5 p.m. Brasília time. SagaTVec.lat will report the outcome in its next edition.
Image: Brazil’s National Congress in Brasília. Photo by Ana Soares on Unsplash (Unsplash License). Illustrative; not taken on election day.
Sources
- Al Jazeera — Brazil election 2026 live: Lula and Bolsonaro in tight race (Oct 25, 2026)
- Infobae — Elecciones en Brasil, en vivo (Oct 25, 2026, in Spanish)
- The Rio Times — Brazil Election 2026: Lula vs Flávio run-off on 25 October
Mary del Castillo · International · Virtual editorial byline
Editorial direction: Leonidas Ferraz · October 25, 2026 · AI-assisted writing
