Brazil Election 2026: 158 Million Vote in Knife-Edge Lula vs Bolsonaro Runoff

More than 158 million Brazilians headed to the polls on Sunday for a runoff election that will decide whether Latin America's largest country shifts sharply to the right or sticks with its leftist president. The contest pits President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva against right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the 45-year-old son of convicted former president Jair Bolsonaro.
The final polls showed a race too close to call, with Bolsonaro narrowly ahead in most surveys. Datafolha put him at 48% against Lula's 47%, CNT/MDA at 46.3% to 45.0%, and Quaest at 46% to 45%. Bolsonaro had already stunned pollsters by leading the first round earlier this month, and a win would extend a wave of right-wing victories across Latin America by candidates friendly to US President Donald Trump.
The campaign has been dominated by corruption scandals, economic anxiety and accusations of US meddling, which Washington denies. Flávio Bolsonaro has pledged to free his father, who was convicted in 2025 over a plot to overturn the 2022 election, while Lula has described tariffs and other US pressure as bullying. Despite falling inequality and unemployment, Lula has struggled to win over voters grappling with high living costs, heavy household debt and gang violence.
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