Overview
- Brazil’s electoral authority confirmed Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as president after a tight second-round race that left the margin close between the candidates.
- Voting was extended nationwide by two hours after a Supreme Court order to address transport and weather problems, and the pollster Datafolha projected Lula’s win before the official announcement.
- Returns showed Lula pulling ahead as counts progressed, prompting celebrations in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo and scenes of public rejoicing in pro-Lula areas.
- The campaign turned on cost of living, crime and social welfare, and foreign policy differences over ties with the United States were a central point of contrast between the candidates.
- The result maintains the Workers’ Party in power, follows earlier legal fights that annulled Lula’s past convictions, and preserves Brazil’s left-of-centre alignment after a period of intense political polarization.