Lula defeats Bolsonaro in tight Brazilian presidential runoff

Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro entered the presidential runoff in Brazil statistically tied in the polls. A survey taken two days before the election put Lula at 47 percent and Bolsonaro at 46 percent. Both candidates closed their campaigns with large rallies across the country in what had shaped up as the closest contest in the nation's history. Approximately 158.7 million Brazilians were eligible to vote in the choice between the two contenders.

Sunday's election day was marked by multiple incidents. According to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, 58 incidents occurred during voting, along with three arrests, ten reports of misconduct, two road blockades and eleven people taken to police stations. Bad weather and a lack of public transport forced authorities to extend voting hours by two hours, a situation described as unprecedented in the country's history.

Lula's lead became apparent as vote counting progressed. With 14.57 percent of votes counted at one point, reports showed Bolsonaro leading, but that trend reversed. With 69 percent of the tally in, Lula moved ahead, and as the count reached 80 percent, the leftist candidate widened his margin over Bolsonaro.

With 94 percent of votes counted, Lula had secured a victory of more than three percentage points over Bolsonaro. The result was confirmed when the Supreme Electoral Court certified Lula's win, making him president-elect for his fourth term. The outcome concludes a presidential campaign marked by political polarization in the country and the uncertainty that pre-election polls had generated about the race's outcome.