Brazil’s polling stations opened at 8:00 a.m. local time on Sunday for the second round of the presidential election, in which voters will also choose six regional governors. The contest pits incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva against Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Approximately 158.7 million citizens are registered to vote in the runoff. Polling stations will remain open until 5:00 p.m. local time. Election officials expect higher turnout than in the first round, when the abstention rate reached 21.08 %, the highest since 1998. Brazilian voters abroad are also able to cast their ballots within the same time window. According to EFE, about 919,000 people registered to vote outside the country, a 32 % increase over the 2022 elections. Voters who are still in line when the polls close may vote, following the rules applied in the first round. In the first round, Flávio Bolsonaro received 47 % of the valid votes (56.1 million), while Lula obtained 45.16 % (53.8 million). São Paulo accounted for the largest share of the electorate at 21.5 %, followed by Minas Gerais (10.3 %), Rio de Janeiro (8 %), Bahia (7 %) and Paraná (5.4 %), according to the Superior Electoral Court. Preliminary polls released on Saturday by Datafolha and Quaest placed Bolsonaro at 51 % of the valid votes and Lula at 49 %. The two-point difference falls within the margin of error, indicating a close race. The campaign has been marked by accusations of corruption, verbal exchanges and the spread of misinformation between the candidates. The second round included the only two debates held between the contenders.
Article source: De Ultimo Minuto | Image credit: De Ultimo Minuto