Nearly 159 million voters are expected to cast ballots in a closely contested election, with polls showing the two candidates tied.

On Sunday, Oct. 25, Brazil will decide its future in the presidential runoff election, pitting President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva against far-right Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro.

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Nearly 159 million Brazilians are eligible to elect their next president, who will take office on Jan. 5, 2027. Polling stations will be open for nine hours, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time. Results will be known on Sunday, thanks to the country’s efficient electronic voting system.

The eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro enters the runoff with an advantage after receiving the most votes in the first round on Oct. 4, winning 47% of the vote, two percentage points more than the progressive leader. However, polls conducted in recent days have shown an upward trend for the Workers’ Party leader, who, at 80, is seeking his fourth nonconsecutive term.

According to the latest poll, released Thursday by polling firm Datafolha, the two candidates are tied at 50% of the valid votes. The outcome of the race is shaping up to be extremely close, even more so than in 2022, when Lula defeated Jair Bolsonaro by just over 2 million votes.

The leftist leader faces the difficult challenge of winning the election after finishing second in the first round. In the nine presidential elections held since the end of the military dictatorship (1964-1985), no one has managed such a feat. To make history, Lula will have to overcome the 2.2 million-vote gap separating him from Bolsonaro after the first round.

“I would like to ask for your vote because either we keep democracy functioning or we will have a militiaman governing this country,” Lula said on Friday night during the final televised debate before the runoff.

Este es Lula liderando con el sindicato del metal a los 33 años la huelga que desafió a la dictadura militar en Brasil. Logró aumentos salariales y fue encarcelado. Mientras, la única profesión del ultraderechista Flávio Bolsonaro ha sido la de político desde que tiene 21 años. pic.twitter.com/pp7YHexIqf

— Fonsi Loaiza (@FonsiLoaiza) October 23, 2026

The text reads, “Here is Lula, at age 33, leading the metalworkers’ union in a strike that defied Brazil’s military dictatorship. He secured wage increases and was subsequently imprisoned. Meanwhile, the far-right figure Flávio Bolsonaro has had only one profession—that of a politician—since the age of 21.”

Lula Changes Strategy

Over the past three weeks, Lula has radically shifted his campaign strategy. He has immersed himself in social media and energized his supporters with massive rallies in cities such as Belo Horizonte and Sao Paulo.

He has also stepped up announcements from the presidency: he obtained congressional approval for the reduction of the workweek, forgave the debts of millions of self-employed workers, and introduced incentive measures for the video game industry.

Lula also sent Parliament a proposal to make public transportation free on weekends and holidays in the country’s nearly 6,000 municipalities.

In recent weeks, the far-right Liberal Party (PL) senator has been significantly affected by the possible consequences of his own proposals. Among them is his intention to cut public spending by US$40 billion, although Flavio insists he does not intend to take a single cent from the most vulnerable.

In recent days, the Brazilian press has also revealed new suspicions about Flavio’s involvement in a money-laundering scheme linked to online betting.

📊 PESQUISA DATA FOLHA – NACIONAL
✅ VOTOS VÁLIDOS | 2º TURNO

🔴 Lula (PT): 50% (+1) ⬆️
🔵 Flávio Bolsonaro (PL): 50% (-1) ⬇️

CONTINUEM EMPENHADOS VIRANDO VOTOS PRO LULA, AGORA É GUERRA! pic.twitter.com/vEqZ2Yp3Le

— Nordeste é 13 (@thiegocomenta) October 22, 2026

The text reads: “Datafolha poll – valid votes nationwide | Runoff. Lula (Workers’ Party): 50% (+1). Flavio Bolsonaro (Liberal Party): 50% (-1). Keep working hard to secure votes for Lula—it’s all-out war now!”

Zuckerberg’s Meta Under Scrutiny for Aiding the Far Right

The 2026 presidential campaign has become embroiled in legal disputes on an unprecedented scale. The Superior Electoral Court has received more than 800 complaints throughout the election campaign.

One of those disputes has centered on the controversial conduct of Meta, the owner of WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook.

Lula’s supporters have requested the annulment of Bolsonaro’s candidacy over alleged interference by Mark Zuckerberg’s company, which they accuse of favoring the circulation of far-right content while restricting progressive content.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

Brazilian president mobilizes supporters online ahead of Sunday’s runoff, as a new poll shows the two candidates tied at 50%.

On Thursday, Brazilian President and reelection candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called on the country’s young and elderly people to “defeat” opposition Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro to build a society that “distributes books and culture, not weapons and hate.”

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“Our army is much bigger, full of enthusiasm and heart, where nobody wants to kill anybody,” said the Workers’ Party (PT) candidate during his first digital event of this kind.

Lula spent an hour and a half participating in a livestream on social media alongside lawmaker Andre Janones, who created a public WhatsApp channel in support of the progressive leader called “Lula’s Army.” The channel has already attracted 8.5 million users ahead of Sunday’s presidential runoff.

Shortly before the digital event, polling firm Datafolha released a survey showing both candidates tied at 50% of the valid vote, three days before voters head to the polls.

🚨 PESSOAL, URGENTE!!!

Preparados pra ver a história acontecendo AO VIVO diante dos olhos?!

Vamos encerrar a campanha mais importante da história do Brasil!

Um ato que ficará para sempre marcado na memória das lutas do povo brasileiro! 🇧🇷

É sábado, dia 24, às 14h, na Av.… pic.twitter.com/aslsI3WZPw

— Lula (@LulaOficial) October 22, 2026

The text reads, “Folks, urgent!!! Are you ready to watch history unfold live before your very eyes?! We are bringing the most important campaign in the history of Brazil to a close! It will be an event that remains forever etched in the memory of the Brazilian people’s struggles! Join us this Saturday, the 24th, at 2:00 pm, on Avenida Paulista, in Sao Paulo!”

In the first round of the election, the eldest son of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro won 47% of the vote, two percentage points more than Lula, who appears to have drawn even in the final days of the campaign.

Part of the Brazilian president’s strategy has involved mobilizing his supporters in the streets and on social media, with an emphasis on young people and those over 70. The latter are exempt from voting in a country where voting is mandatory.

Introduced as “Marshal Lula,” the Workers’ Party leader acknowledged feeling “like a fish out of water” during his first livestream, where he listened to accounts from young and elderly people.

“I have to talk with my army; we have a great battle ahead of us,” Lula said, adding that his candidacy represents “democracy,” “the fight against femicide” and a “life focused on health, culture” and education.

Estas eleições serão um divisor de águas para o Brasil. É hora de transformar essa esperança e mobilização das ruas em mais participação e compromissos.

Seguiremos firmes na luta por um país mais justo, com oportunidades para todos e políticas voltadas às necessidades da… pic.twitter.com/TzOkr47RH8

— Lula (@LulaOficial) October 23, 2026

Lula da SIlva’s text reads, “These elections will be a watershed moment for Brazil. It is time to transform this hope and the mobilization seen in the streets into greater participation and concrete commitments. We will remain steadfast in the fight for a fairer country—one with opportunities for all and policies geared toward the needs of the population. Our ‘army’ consists of more than just soldiers; it is driven by reason, motivation, and a cause. And our cause is the best in the world, because it is the Brazilian people. Let us work together to secure another victory!”

“Our army fights to build a harmonious, loving society that builds rather than destroys, that distributes books and culture, not weapons and hate,” said the Workers’ Party leader, who also referred to Sunday’s runoff election as a “war.”

“Brazil cannot fall into the hands of a militiaman,” Lula said, alluding to the Bolsonaro family’s ties to relatives of members of paramilitary groups in Rio de Janeiro.

Lula also recalled that Flavio Bolsonaro had served as the lawyer for a police officer accused of killing a 5-year-old girl during an operation against suspected drug traffickers.

The Workers’ Party also urged those who abstained from voting — who accounted for 21% of voters in the first round, or about 33.5 million Brazilians — to vote for Lula on Sunday.

“You who did not go to vote because you didn’t like the candidates or because you are over 70, that is your right; but not now. Now you have to think about Brazil, about your homeland,” he said.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

A new Quaest poll shows the far-right senator with 45% of voter support and the progressive president with 44%.

On Wednesday, polling firm Quaest revealed that Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro’s lead over President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in voting intentions for Brazil’s presidential runoff had narrowed from 2 points last week to just 1 point.

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If the election were held today, the far-right candidate, who received the most votes in the first round, would receive 45% of the vote, while the progressive president would garner 44%, indicating that the two remain statistically tied because the poll has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

In the poll conducted last week by the same firm, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022) had 46% of voter support, a decline of 1 point, while Lula, who is seeking reelection and a fourth nonconsecutive term, had 44%, unchanged from the previous survey.

The new poll, released just four days before the runoff scheduled for Oct. 25, confirmed that the presidential election ranks among Brazil’s most polarized, with the country still divided between the progressivism led by Lula and the far-right politics of the Bolsonaro clan.

Quaest: Lula amplia vantagem entre beneficiários do Bolsa Família. O candidato à reeleição aumentou de 60% para 62%. Ao mesmo tempo, Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) caiu de 31% para 27%.

➡️ #GloboNewsRadar – de segunda a sexta, às 8h30, na #GloboNews. Assista na TV e no Globoplay pic.twitter.com/43AKlyZnCE

— GloboNews (@GloboNews) October 21, 2026

The text reads, “Quaest: Lula expands his lead among Bolsa Família beneficiaries. The candidate seeking reelection rose from 60% to 62%. At the same time, Flavio Bolsonaro (PL) fell from 31% to 27%.”

According to Quaest, which interviewed 2,154 voters between Saturday and Tuesday, the percentage of undecided voters rose from 1% to 2% over the past week, while the percentage of those intending to cast blank ballots or invalidate their votes remained at 9%.

The new poll was conducted after the candidates’ first televised debate on Oct. 18 and after the Brazilian president announced new measures. In addition to the reduction of the workweek from 44 to 40 hours, with two days off and no reduction in pay, Lula announced in recent days a measure to forgive microentrepreneurs’ debts and a bill to provide free bus transportation on weekends.

Bolsonaro received the most votes in the first round of the presidential election, with 47.03%, while Lula finished second with 45.16%, leaving a gap of less than 2 percentage points between them.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE