Flávio Bolsonaro and Lula da Silva to Face Off in Brazil's Presidential Election Second Round on October 25

Brazil's presidential election first round, held on October 4, 2026, concluded with Flávio Bolsonaro of the PL party and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the PT party advancing to the second round, scheduled for October 25. According to the Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (TSE), Bolsonaro led with 47.03% of valid votes, totaling 56,103,033 votes, while Lula closely followed with 45.16%, or 53,870,724 valid votes. As no candidate surpassed the 50% threshold required for an outright win, the runoff will decide Brazil's next president.

On election night, approximately 99.99% of ballots were counted. Earlier, some counts showed slight variations: with 98.2% counted, Bolsonaro had 44.85% and Lula 44.7%, each amounting to about 55.5 million votes. The final official tally confirms Bolsonaro’s narrow lead but insufficient majority.

In his post-election remarks, Bolsonaro expressed satisfaction, highlighting the people's desire for change and his vision of a modern government with fewer ministries and a commitment to ending re-election. Lula, speaking to supporters in São Paulo, noted the unexpected nature of the results but affirmed his readiness for the runoff. He criticized Bolsonaro's governance record and emphasized the second round as a moment to clearly distinguish between the candidates.

Additionally, the second round on October 25 will also include gubernatorial runoffs in six Brazilian states and the Federal District. These contests feature candidates such as Mailza Assis and Alan Rick in Acre, Omar Aziz and Maria do Carmo in Amazonas, Celina Leão and Leandro Grass in the Federal District, among others.

With the electoral contest narrowing to these two influential figures, the upcoming runoff election is poised to be a decisive moment for Brazil's political future.