With nearly all first-round ballots counted, Flavio Bolsonaro led President Lula but fell short of the majority needed to win outright, setting a 25 October runoff.
Brazil's presidential election is heading to a second round after right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro finished ahead of incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva without securing an outright majority. BBC News reported that, with 99 percent of votes counted, Bolsonaro had 47.03 percent and Lula 45.16 percent.
Brazilian election rules require more than 50 percent of valid votes to win in the first round. BBC said the runoff between the two is scheduled for 25 October. Polls closed at 17:00 Brasilia time on Sunday, 4 October.
Flavio Bolsonaro is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who BBC reported is serving a 27-year prison sentence over a failed coup attempt after the previous election. The younger Bolsonaro has pledged amnesty for his father and for supporters linked to the 8 January riots if he is elected, BBC reported.
The first-round result ran ahead of some campaign expectations. BBC noted Lula had been polling slightly ahead and that other eliminated candidates included right-wing alternatives, a factor that could shape the runoff. Bolsonaro told reporters he was very happy to have led and expected to win the second round.
Voters also chose members of Congress in the general election. BBC Brasil's pre-vote tracker had both leading candidates near 40 percent, with a runoff widely expected if neither cleared 50 percent.