BRASILIA, Brazil — Voting was underway Sunday as Brazilians chose between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro in a closely fought runoff.
The polls opened at 8 a.m. Brasília time and were due to close at 5 p.m. Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court said more than 158.7 million people were eligible to vote. Anyone still waiting in line at 5 p.m. would be allowed to cast a ballot.
Bolsonaro went into Sunday’s vote after finishing first on Oct. 4. Official results from the first round gave him 56,104,268 votes, or 47.03%. Lula received 53,876,617 votes, or 45.16%.
Because neither candidate won a majority of valid ballots, the race went to a second round.
The last polls did little to settle the question of who would win. Reuters reported Saturday that four surveys showed the candidates separated by one to three percentage points. In each case, the gap was within the poll’s margin of error.
Sunday’s choice could also change Brazil’s dealings with the United States. Reuters reported that Bolsonaro favors closer ties with President Donald Trump. Lula’s government has differed with Washington over trade and security.
Voters also heard sharply different messages about prices and public safety during the campaign. Lula faced complaints about living costs, household debt and gang violence. Inequality and unemployment have fallen during his administration, Reuters reported.
Bolsonaro has promised to pardon his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, if elected. The elder Bolsonaro was convicted in 2025 of plotting a coup after his defeat in the 2022 election, according to Reuters.
Brazil’s election authority planned to begin releasing official results after voting ended. Its results portal showed no runoff votes counted Sunday morning.
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