Brazil heads to a Lula–Bolsonaro run-off as the right outperforms the polls
Brazil’s electoral court confirmed on Sunday that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro will meet in a run-off on October 25, because neither won the majority needed to take the presidency outright. Bolsonaro led the count with about 56 million votes against almost 53 million for Lula.
A result the polls missed. Most polls had predicted a second round but had Lula finishing the first round ahead. Private surveys had forecast Lula leading by around three percentage points. Lula described the vote as unexpected and said he would come back stronger in the run-off. (Brazil’s presidential race: Three key takeaways from the first round +2)
A strong night for the right. Bolsonaro’s performance was part of a broader show of strength for Brazil’s right. Analysts told Reuters that some of his votes may have been protest votes against Lula, which they had expected voters to hold back until the second round. Bolsonaro told supporters that Brazil wants change. He called the result the end of the Workers’ Party era. (Brazil’s presidential race: Three key takeaways from the first round +2)
A tight run-off ahead. Surveys show Lula and Bolsonaro roughly even in the October 25 run-off. Lula, 80, is seeking a fourth term. The contest is expected to be deeply polarised, with consequences for Brazil and the wider region.
Posso accorciarlo, farne una versione più giornalistica con un titolo alternativo, oppure aggiungere altri dati, per esempio sui candidati minori.
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