Brazil holds its first-round presidential election on Sunday after Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro closed their campaigns, with polls pointing to a second round on October 25.
Brazilians vote on Sunday in the first round of a presidential election pitting incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva against Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. The two wrapped up campaigning on Saturday, Lula with a march in Sao Paulo and Bolsonaro with a motorcycle caravan in Sao Paulo state and a rally in Rio de Janeiro, Reuters reported.
If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of valid votes, the top two advance to a runoff on October 25. Lula called the election a choice between democracy and barbarism. Workers' Party president Edinho Silva said the Sao Paulo turnout showed momentum for the incumbent.
Saturday polls kept Lula slightly ahead but showed a close race. A CNT/MDA survey of 2,007 people from September 30 to October 2 put Lula at 47.8 percent and Bolsonaro at 42.1 percent of valid votes, with a margin of error of 2.2 points. Datafolha, surveying 4,006 people on October 2-3, had Lula at 45 percent and Bolsonaro at 42 percent.
Quaest, in a survey of 3,702 people, put the first round at 46 percent for Lula and 45 percent for Bolsonaro, and a runoff at 44 percent for Bolsonaro and 42 percent for Lula. AtlasIntel/Bloomberg had Lula at 47 percent and Bolsonaro at 44.1 percent in the first round. Other named candidates included Augusto Cury, Ronaldo Caiado, Renan Santos and Romeu Zema.
Al Jazeera, citing AFP and Reuters, reported both campaigns expressing confidence and noted a narrower contest than Lula's 2022 win. Results were not available in early Sunday reporting.