Lula leads Flávio Bolsonaro in Brazil runoff as vote count pauses
A two-hour halt in tallying followed a late Supreme Court ruling that extended voting hours in several states.
By Rosa Wojcik ·
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took the lead in the presidential runoff on Sunday, surpassing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. This shift occurred with approximately half of the ballots counted. The lead solidified as results began flowing from northeastern states that traditionally support the left.
Pollsters attributed the momentum to higher-than-expected voter turnout. Andrei Roman, CEO of AtlasIntel, told Reuters that Lula would be re-elected. While the federal electoral court has not officially declared a winner, Lula’s allies began celebrating on social media platforms by 8:30 p.m. Brasília time.
The count was interrupted by a ruling from Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin. Zanin, who previously served as Lula’s lawyer, approved a request to extend voting hours. He cited public transportation disruptions in three cities within the state of Bahia. The decision arrived near the 5 p.m. cutoff, causing confusion at polling stations that had already closed.
Zanin later clarified that closed stations would remain shut while open stations could continue accepting voters for two additional hours. The Electoral Justice Court, known as the TSE, paused the count for two hours in response to this extension. Lula’s campaign had asked for extended hours in at least nine states, alleging that officials reduced bus services to hinder voter access.
In Salvador, a court ordered the arrest of a top transportation official. He is accused of directing a reduction in the city’s bus fleet. Earlier on Sunday, Lula described the situation as “something abominable is happening.” Flávio Bolsonaro had also requested extended voting in at least three states due to bad weather.
The extension raises legal questions in a country still processing the aftermath of the 2022 election. Jair Bolsonaro received a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup after refusing to concede defeat to Lula that year. Constitutional lawyer Vera Chemim noted that the losing side might contest the result, arguing that voters were unable to cast ballots even with the extended deadline.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, the senator’s brother, questioned the legal basis for the Supreme Court’s intervention in a process overseen by the electoral court. He stated on a live stream, “It doesn’t inspire credibility.” In Washington, President Donald Trump said he was watching the election but declined to endorse a specific candidate.
