With nearly all ballots counted, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro led President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva but neither reached a majority, sending Brazil's presidency to a 25 October runoff.
Brazil's presidential election will be decided in a runoff on 25 October after neither leading candidate won a majority of valid votes on 4 October.
Brazil's Senate news service, citing the Superior Electoral Court count with 99.97 percent of polling stations tallied, reported Senator Flavio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party on 47.04 percent of valid votes, or 56,098,457 ballots, and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of the Workers' Party on 45.15 percent, or 53,846,396. BBC News, using a count near 99 percent, reported a similar split of about 47.03 percent to 45.16 percent.
Turnout was 78.92 percent and abstention 21.08 percent, the Senate report said. Writer Augusto Cury of Avante placed third with 2.89 percent of valid votes. The Senate also listed Renan Santos of Missao at 2.24 percent and Ronaldo Caiado of the PSD at 2.18 percent.
Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, is a Rio de Janeiro senator and the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year sentence over a failed coup attempt after the previous election, BBC News reported. Lula is seeking another term. BBC News said Lula called the first-round result unexpected and insisted the race was not over, while Bolsonaro, quoted by AFP via the BBC, spoke of a chance that Brazil would choose a different government in three weeks.
The second round is set for 25 October. Officials have not certified a final first-round bulletin in the reports used here; both counts still described the tally as nearly complete.
People Sentiments Mixed
- BBC News reported Lula called the first-round outcome unexpected but said the race was not finished.
- AFP, cited by the BBC, quoted Flavio Bolsonaro welcoming the chance of a change of government in three weeks.