Polls close in Brazil as Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro remain neck and neck
BBC News 2026-10-04 23:20:03
Context: Polls have closed in Brazil's general election, with around 160 million eligible voters casting their ballots in a tight first round of the presidential race between left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro. The election is seen as a critical test for democracy in Brazil, with Lula warning that the choice is between democracy and "barbarism". The result is forecast to be close, with a possible run-off on October 25 if no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote.
Key Facts
- Around 158.7 million Brazilians, including one million people abroad, are eligible to vote in the election, with over 90% of votes counted so far.
- Flávio Bolsonaro leads with 48.05% of the vote, while incumbent Lula trails with 43.97% according to Brazil's Superior Electoral Court.
- Lula is challenged by 11 candidates, but they are expected to garner only about 10% of the vote according to BBC Brazil's poll aggregator.
- A victory for Bolsonaro would extend a wave of wins by right-wing candidates aligned with US President Donald Trump across Latin America, while Lula's re-election would create problems for Washington.