Brazil Is Holding The Final Round Of Its Presidential Election

25.10.2026, 21:29

Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro are vying for the position.

Brazil is holding the decisive second round of its presidential election. On Sunday, October 25, the incumbent head of state Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his main rival, a senator, are vying for the country’s highest office, according to Deutsche Welle.

Both have already voted. “The right wing wants to govern under the American flag,” Lula da Silva said, alluding to his rival and his close ties to Washington. He cast his ballot at a polling station in São Bernardo do Campo, near São Paulo. “People took to the streets to defend their gains,” the politician continued, referring to voter turnout.

For his part, Flavio Bolsonaro urged voters to go to the polls—“rain or shine”—to change the country’s course. “Brazil will change. Brazil will win,” declared the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently serving a sentence for his role in an attempted coup.

The opposition candidate criticized da Silva’s record on security and the economy, stating that voters should not continue to follow this misguided path. Bolsonaro voted at a school in Rio de Janeiro about 20 minutes after the polls opened. He was accompanied by his wife, Fernanda, and police provided heightened security measures.

Polling stations will remain open until 5:00 p.m. local time (11:00 p.m. Moscow time), with the first preliminary results expected on the night of October 26.

A Tight Election Race

The election race remains extremely tight. Right-wing populist Bolsonaro Jr. unexpectedly won the first round of voting on October 4, receiving 47% of the vote compared to 45% for the center-left candidate, former union leader da Silva. In addition, on the same day, Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party outperformed its rivals in the Chamber of Deputies elections and significantly increased its representation in the Senate.

The second round has become something of a tradition in Brazil—since the early 2000s, every presidential election has required a runoff.

Lula da Silva, 80, is banking on social programs, government investments, and continuing his administration’s policies. Flavio Bolsonaro holds conservative views and promises tougher measures to combat crime, the dpa news agency reported. Among Bolsonaro Jr.’s other key campaign promises is an amnesty for his father. Due to his health, his father has been placed under house arrest.

Corruption scandals and accusations of U.S. interference

The election campaign in Brazil is taking place against a backdrop of corruption scandals, economic instability, and accusations of U.S. interference. Washington denies accusations of attempting to influence the election’s outcome, Reuters reports.

Although 45-year-old Flávio Bolsonaro based his campaign in part on promises to combat crime, he himself has been suspected in the past of corruption and embezzlement. In 2019, cases were filed against the politician alleging that he received payments through front men listed as his subordinates, as well as regarding suspicious transfers to his bank account.

According to observers, the outcome of the election could be significantly influenced by the more than 33 million voters who did not participate in the first round.

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