World
Brazil votes in presidential runoff as Lula and Bolsonaro vie for top job
Brazilian voters return to the polls on Sunday to choose between two candidates for the presidency in a unified nationwide ballot.
The second round of the 2026 elections takes place on Sunday (25th) across Brazil. Voters choose between Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) for the presidency. In five states, the race for governor will also be decided in this ballot, while in other regions the position was already determined in the first round.
Polling stations operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with unified timing across the country based on Brasília time. According to the Electoral Justice, each round is considered an independent election, meaning voters who abstained from the first round can participate normally in the second. There is no penalty for missing the first round in order to vote in this phase.
Voters who opt for travelling poll voting can cast their ballots outside their home electoral district, provided they requested the option before the deadline that closed on August 20th. This option is available in state capitals and municipalities with more than 100,000 voters, with polling locations set by Regional Electoral Courts.
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The number of eligible voters varies significantly by region. In the Federal District, 2,253,132 people are registered to vote, the highest number in the capital's history. In Ceará, nearly 7 million voters are eligible to participate. In Mato Grosso, around 2.6 million can vote, and in Alto Tietê (SP), 1,224,765 voters are registered.
Some voters were barred from participating. The Rio de Janeiro Regional Electoral Court unanimously decided on October 15th to prevent Anthony Garotinho (Republicanos) from taking part in the second round, after ruling on a mandamus petition that the former governor had filed. In Paraíba, more than 564,000 voters who missed the first round are eligible to vote on Sunday, provided they maintain regular standing with the Electoral Justice.
A Brazilian resident in Portugal for five years is participating in the ballot. Eder Bruno de Sousa Pinto, 33, a commercial assistant, will vote in Lisbon in the second round while maintaining ties with Araçatuba (SP). Celebrities also appeared at their polling stations early on Sunday morning to cast their votes.