Overview
- The Tribunal Superior Electoral (TSE) published official results late on Oct. 25 showing Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the runoff with about 51.76–51.77% of valid votes versus roughly 48.23–48.24% for Flávio Bolsonaro.
- Early partial tallies showed Bolsonaro ahead, but Lula recovered as votes from northeastern states and other regions were added, reversing the first‑round order and producing a close night‑long count.
- A Supreme Federal Court judge extended voting by two hours in stations still receiving voters after complaints about reduced public transport, and the regional electoral court in Bahia ordered the arrest of Salvador’s mobility secretary over alleged transport interference.
- The TSE ordered Meta and X to provide technical explanations within 24 hours about content distribution, AI tools and ad handling, and warned of daily fines for noncompliance as it opened an investigation into unequal treatment claims.
- Lula’s victory gives him a fourth presidential term and raises immediate questions about judicial reviews of election‑day operations and how major platforms regulate political content, which could shape oversight, voter access rules and Brazil’s regional policy next year.