Brazil votes in tight presidential run-off between Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro

Brazilians vote on Sunday in a presidential run-off that final surveys suggest is too close to call, pitting President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva against right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro.

A near dead heat

In the first round on October 4, Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party took about 47 per cent of the vote and Lula of the Workers' Party about 45 per cent, short of the majority needed to win outright.

A CNT/MDA survey released on Saturday put Bolsonaro at 46.3 per cent and Lula at 45 per cent, within the poll's margin of error of 2.2 points, Al Jazeera reported. A Datafolha poll published on Thursday showed the two tied at 50 per cent each, while other surveys earlier in the week gave Bolsonaro a narrow lead.

Lula, 80, is seeking a fourth, non-consecutive term. Bolsonaro, 45, has campaigned on a tougher approach to organised crime and tighter control of public spending. In a final televised debate on Friday, he accused the government of letting crime spread and families fall into debt, while Lula said his rival "doesn't know what hunger is".

How and when results come

More than 158 million people are registered to vote. Polls are open from 8 am to 5 pm Brasilia time, and the electoral court begins publishing the count as soon as voting ends, which is 1:30 am on Monday in India. Brazil votes entirely on electronic machines, and in the 2022 run-off the winner was clear within about three hours of polls closing.

The election is being closely watched across Latin America. Jair Bolsonaro, who lost to Lula in 2022, is serving a prison sentence of 27 years for his role in a coup plot, and his son's campaign has made the family's political return a central theme.

Why it matters for India

Brazil is a fellow BRICS member and an important partner for India in agriculture, energy and climate negotiations. The outcome could shape Brazil's stance in groupings such as BRICS and the G20, where New Delhi and Brasilia have often worked together on issues of the Global South.