Polls close in Brazil as Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro remain neck and neck

Polls have closed in Brazil with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro locked in a tight race, according to preliminary results from overseas voting stations. In China, Lula secured 56.63 % of the vote while Bolsonaro received 31.33 %. Lula also prevailed in South Korea, New Zealand and Saudi Arabia. Conversely, in Israel Bolsonaro won 74.40 % of the valid votes, and in Japan he captured 71.59 % of the valid votes. Today’s outcome will also determine the composition of the Senate beginning in February 2027, as 54 of the chamber’s 81 seats are being contested—representing two‑thirds of the total. Currently, the largest bloc in the Senate is Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party (PL), followed by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), which has participated in a coalition government under Lula. Four years ago, Lula narrowly defeated Jair Bolsonaro, Flávio’s father. The tumultuous aftermath of that election—during which Jair Bolsonaro was convicted of plotting a coup after thousands of his supporters stormed the Brazilian Congress—has left a lasting imprint on the nation’s political landscape. Jair Bolsonaro is presently serving a 27‑year sentence for plotting a coup and is barred from seeking office. Because of recurring health problems, he is under house arrest rather than incarceration, but he remains prohibited from posting on social media or making public statements. Despite these restrictions, there is little doubt that Flávio Bolsonaro retains his father’s backing.