Overview
- Brazil’s electoral authority confirmed Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the presidential runoff after vote tallies and pollster Datafolha showed him narrowly ahead of Flávio Bolsonaro.
- With counts showing roughly 51.2% to 48.8% for Lula, Reuters live tallies and projections made clear the race was tight before the official announcement.
- The Supreme Court ordered voting extended nationwide by two hours, a move that produced logistical problems at some polling places and delayed parts of the count.
- Flávio Bolsonaro campaigned as a Trump ally who would push for closer ties with Washington and deals on trade and rare‑earths, while many voters cited rising living costs and crime as top concerns.
- The result keeps Brazil on a left‑leaning path and could shape policy on trade, the Amazon and security, while leaving a politically divided country and high abstention to be addressed.