Brazil election pits Lula against Flávio Bolsonaro amid a deeply divided race

Brazilians have finished voting in a presidential election led by incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and senator Flávio Bolsonaro. Polls closed at 17:00 Brasília time on 4 October, 20:00 UTC, with the electronic voting system expected to produce a result within hours.

BBC Brasil’s poll aggregator put both candidates near 40% at the end of September, with Lula slightly ahead. The other 11 candidates were each polling at 4% or less.

Runoff expected on 25 October

If no candidate wins more than 50% of valid votes, the top two will contest a runoff on 25 October. Polls indicated that outcome was highly likely, although 9% of voters were still undecided, planning to spoil or leave their ballot blank, or intending not to vote.

Voting is available to Brazilians aged 16 and over. It is compulsory for literate citizens aged 18 to 70, with a fine for non-attendance; almost 160 million people were eligible to vote.

Jair Bolsonaro’s continuing influence

Flávio Bolsonaro, a 45-year-old senator from the Liberal Party, has sought support from his father’s political base. Jair Bolsonaro is not standing: he is barred from office and is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election.

Because of recurrent health problems, the former president is under house arrest and restricted from making public statements or posting on social media. At the launch of his son’s campaign, an AI-generated avatar of Jair Bolsonaro endorsed the candidacy; his lawyers denied that he had authorised its use.

The candidates’ political priorities

Lula, the 80-year-old Workers’ Party candidate, has already served three presidential terms. His government points to anti-poverty policies and lower Amazon deforestation, while environmentalists have criticised his support for exploratory oil drilling near the river’s mouth.

Flávio Bolsonaro has advocated tougher criminal penalties, looser gun laws and fewer regulations for farmers. He has also said he would join the US-led “Shield of the Americas” anti-crime alliance if elected.

A financial scandal involving jailed banker Daniel Vorcaro became another campaign issue. Flávio acknowledged asking him to fund a biopic about his father; audio recordings reportedly captured a request for 134 million reais.