LIVE: Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro face decisive vote in Brazil’s presidential run-off

LIVE UPDATES

Before polls open: Brazil prepares to choose its next president

Lula is seeking a fourth presidential term overall, while Bolsonaro aims to return his family’s political movement to the presidency after its defeat in 2022.

Brazil’s presidential election reaches its decisive stage today after three weeks of campaigning between the two finalists.

Bolsonaro enters the run-off having finished ahead on October 4. Lula is seeking to overturn that result by broadening his support and encouraging previous abstainers to vote.

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Both campaigns have combined street rallies with an intensive digital push, while their final televised encounters have brought clashes over economic policy, policing and personal conduct.

11:00 GMT: Polls scheduled to open nationwide

Voting is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Brasília time, or 11 a.m. GMT, under standardised nationwide voting hours.

Polling stations will remain open until 20:00 GMT. Anyone already waiting in line at closing time will still be allowed to vote.

How will the winner be decided?

The candidate who receives more valid votes in today’s contest will win. Blank and invalid ballots do not count towards either candidate’s total.

Bolsonaro’s first-round lead does not give him additional votes in the run-off. Both candidates must secure support again, including from people who previously voted for eliminated contenders.

20:00 GMT: Polls scheduled to close; counting to follow

Polling stations are scheduled to close at 5 p.m. Brasília time, or 8 p.m. GMT, although voting can continue for people already in queues.

The Superior Electoral Court will publish results as electronic vote totals are received and processed. Early figures will represent a partial count and may change as more polling stations report.

Follow the official results portal and Global South World Brasil for further coverage.

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CAMPAIGN BUILD-UP

Final debate brings economic policy and policing into focus

Lula and Bolsonaro’s final televised debate, hosted by TV Globo on Friday, October 23, gave the candidates more space to discuss government policy than their earlier confrontation on Band.

Bolsonaro focused on household financial pressures and the cost of living. Lula emphasised protecting purchasing power and questioned his opponent’s plans for minimum wages and pension benefits. Bolsonaro has denied intending to end those protections.

The encounter also featured personal attacks. Bolsonaro apologised after referring disparagingly to Lula’s missing finger. The candidates clashed over Bolsonaro’s legal representation of a police officer accused of killing five-year-old Ana Clara Gomes Machado during a police operation.

Lula’s campaign simultaneously intensified its digital activity, distributing debate clips across social media and messaging groups.

Read the full report on the final presidential debate.

Lula frames election as a choice over Brazil’s sovereignty

Lula accused Bolsonaro of bowing to US interests during a campaign event between Juazeiro and Petrolina on Tuesday.

The president presented the election as a choice between defending Brazil’s sovereignty and accepting political subordination to Washington, questioning whether voters wanted a country that “goes on all fours before the American flag”.

He also urged supporters to maintain their presence on the streets and across digital platforms during the campaign’s final days.

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Read more: Lula accuses Bolsonaro of bowing to US interests ahead of Brazil run-off.

Electoral court warns Meta over treatment of candidates

Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court gave Meta 24 hours on October 18 to demonstrate that it was treating both presidential campaigns equally, warning of a daily fine of R$1 million, approximately US$198,000, for failing to comply.

The dispute followed allegations from Lula’s campaign that the company had restricted its content and advertising. Concerns also involved Meta AI generating election-related images for Bolsonaro while refusing similar requests involving Lula.

Meta denied political bias and attributed the problems to technical faults. The court requested clearer explanations of the measures the company had taken.

Read more: Brazil’s electoral court threatens Meta with US$198,000 daily fine over election content.

Bolsonaro attacks Lula and Supreme Court at São Paulo rally

Bolsonaro criticised Lula and Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court while addressing supporters on Paulista Avenue in São Paulo during a campaign mobilisation ahead of the run-off.

“Today, Brazil has no president,” he declared, accusing Lula of sharing power with Justice Alexandre de Moraes and alleging judicial persecution of political opponents.

The gathering, called the “Victory Bloc”, followed a separate march by Lula supporters, students and social movements backing democracy and the continuation of the Workers’ Party government.

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Read more: ‘Brazil has no president’ — Flávio Bolsonaro challenges Lula at São Paulo rally.