The second round of the presidential election will take place in Brazil on 25 October, with the incumbent head of state, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, facing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro — the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. In the run-up to the vote, five opinion polls have shown a minimal difference between the candidates, which falls within the margin of error. In the first round, Bolsonaro received around 47% of the vote, whilst Lula received 45%. The election will determine the political direction of Latin America’s largest economy for the next four years.
- The second round of the presidential election will take place in Brazil on 25 October.
- The incumbent president, Lula da Silva, and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro are vying for the post.
- In the first round, Bolsonaro received around 47% votes, whilst Lula received 45%.
- The latest polls show that the candidates’ results are statistically similar.
- Voting will take place from 08:00 to 17:00 Brasília time.
What is known about the presidential election in Brazil
On Sunday, 25 October, Brazilian voters are set to decide who will lead the country during the next presidential term.
An 80-year-old has made it through to the second round Luís Inácio Lula da Silva, who represents the left-wing Workers’ Party, and the 45-year-old Flavio Bolsonaro from the right-wing Liberal Party.
The first round took place on 4 October. According to the results, Bolsonaro was ahead of the incumbent president by approximately 2.2 million votes. However, no candidate secured more than half of the valid votes required to win.
According to the Brazilian Superior Electoral Court, more than 158 million citizens are eligible to vote.
Polling stations will be open from 08:00 to 17:00 Brasília time. Once voting has concluded, the electronic counting of ballot papers will begin.
What the latest polls ahead of the second round revealed
In the run-up to the election, polling organisations have published the results of surveys which show that the candidates are neck and neck in terms of support.
According to Datafolha figures published on 24 October, Flavio Bolsonaro was supported by 48% of those surveyed, whilst Lulu da Silva was supported by 47%. The margin of error is two percentage points.
The Quaest study showed a ratio of 46% to 45%, whilst the CNT/MDA study showed a ratio of 46.3% to 45%, respectively.
In the AtlasIntel/Bloomberg survey, Bolsonaro received 49.9% and Lula 48.4%. The margin of error was one percentage point.
All the results presented show statistically similar figures. They do not allow a definitive winner to be determined until voting has concluded.
How do the candidates’ political positions differ?
Lula da Silva is standing for a fourth term as president. His political programme focuses on social support for the population, public investment and the expansion of economic ties with international partners.
Flavio Bolsonaro represents the political right and advocates for greater public safety and a change in economic policy. He maintains close political ties with the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Key issues in the campaign included the cost of living, crime, public spending and corruption scandals.
Lula also fostered cooperation with China, which remains one of Brazil’s most important trading partners.
At the same time, the foreign policy priorities of each candidate do not necessarily mean that relations with Washington or Beijing will automatically be severed after the election.
Why voter turnout is important
One of the key factors in the second round is the participation of citizens who did not vote on 4 October or who supported other candidates.
According to the electoral authorities, more than 33 million voters did not turn out at polling stations during the first round. The proportion of those who did not vote stood at 21.08%.
Despite the fact that voting is compulsory in Brazil Although this is the case for the majority of voters, a significant number of citizens fail to vote each year.
The campaign teams paid particular attention to the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, where the majority of the country’s electorate lives.
When will the election results be announced?
The second round of the presidential election in Brazil is scheduled for 25 October.
Once the polling stations close at 17:00 Brasília time, the electoral system will begin to compile the official results. These will be published by the country’s Supreme Electoral Court.
As of the morning of 25 October, the final results of the second round are not yet available. The candidate who receives the majority of valid votes will be declared the winner.
