RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 26, 2026 – Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was declared the winner of the presidential election’s second round, securing 51.74 % of the vote against former President Jair J. Bolsonaro, who received 48.26 %. The result was confirmed after the Supreme Electoral Court counted 97.69 % of the ballots, a margin that could not be altered by the remaining uncounted votes. The election, held on September 26, saw a turnout of 80.79 %, with 127,807,732 voters casting ballots. A total of 30,381,854 voters (19.21 %) did not participate. Blank ballots accounted for 1.12 % (1,426,055) and invalid ballots for 2.12 % (2,713,225). Lula, the leader of the Workers’ Party, will begin his new term as president on January 1, 2027. The result marks the first time in modern Brazilian history that a candidate who trailed in the first round has won the presidency in the second round. Source: “Montsame” agency.