By Riffat Kausar
SNN News Finland
SÃO PAULO — Brazilians are casting their ballots in a presidential runoff between incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro, a contest that polls place on a knife edge after the first round left the two candidates separated by a sliver.
A runoff after a close first round
The second round follows a first-round vote earlier in October in which Flávio Bolsonaro finished ahead by roughly two percentage points. Because no candidate crossed the threshold needed to win outright, the race went to a runoff.
Final polling before the vote showed the two candidates effectively neck and neck, with the outcome resting on a relatively small number of undecided voters and on turnout in the country’s largest states.
Lula seeks a fourth term
Lula, 80, is campaigning for an unprecedented fourth non-consecutive term. He has presented the election as a choice about the direction of Brazil’s economy and its role in the region, and has leaned on his record in office as well as his international standing.
His path runs through the northeast, a traditional stronghold, though his margins there in the first round were narrower than in previous elections — a shift his campaign has had to reckon with.
Bolsonaro’s push in Minas Gerais
Flávio Bolsonaro, a senator and the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, is campaigning to return Brazil’s right to power. He has built his appeal on security, economic policy and the support of conservative and evangelical voters.
On the final day of campaigning, he addressed a large crowd in Belo Horizonte, in the key state of Minas Gerais, before heading to Rio de Janeiro. Lula rallied supporters in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
His supporters have been a visible presence in the street rallies that have defined the campaign, dressed in the yellow and green of the national flag — colours that have become shorthand for the movement associated with the Bolsonaro family.
Crime, the economy and the wider region
Beyond the two personalities, the campaign has turned on crime and policing, the cost of living and the economy, and Brazil’s position in a region where US influence has become an explicit theme of the race.
Voters on both sides have described the ballot as a choice about change. Supporters of Flávio Bolsonaro, many of them wearing the yellow and green jerseys that have become a marker of the movement, said they were casting their votes for a different direction.
Turnout and the decisions of undecided voters are expected to prove decisive in a contest this close, particularly across the large south-eastern states where the two camps are most evenly matched.
What is at stake
The result will shape Brazil’s foreign policy, its climate stance and its relationship with the United States, at a moment when outside influence over Latin America has become an explicit theme of the campaign.
The vote also carries weight beyond Brazil’s borders, given the country’s size and its role in regional politics. SNN News Finland has reported on legal proceedings against Venezuela’s leadership and on political prisoners released in Venezuela.
Key facts
- What: the second round of Brazil’s presidential election.
- Candidates: incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party.
- Lula: aged 80, seeking a fourth non-consecutive term.
- Flávio Bolsonaro: a senator and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, seeking to return the right to power.
- Polling: the two are virtually tied, after Bolsonaro led the first round by about two percentage points.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there a runoff?
No candidate won an outright majority in the first round earlier in October, so the top two contenders face a second vote.
Who is Flávio Bolsonaro?
A senator from the Liberal Party and the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Is Lula seeking another term?
Yes. Lula, 80, is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term as president.
What did the polls say?
The final polls indicated the race was virtually tied, with Bolsonaro having finished ahead in the first round.
Where did they campaign last?
Lula held events in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo; Bolsonaro addressed a large rally in Belo Horizonte before travelling to Rio.
Verified by Scandinavian News Agency Finland.
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