Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Brazilians are voting in the final round of the presidential election
- Left-wing incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is facing off against Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of the far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro
- Polls showed the two as neck-and-neck after Bolsonaro beat Lula by 2.2 million votes in the first round
- The 33 million voters who didn’t vote in the first round could decide the result if they can be mobilized
Keep reading for the latest updates from the second round of Brazil’s presidential election on Sunday, October 25:
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Skip next section IN DEPTH: What the election could mean for the Amazon10/25/2026October 25, 2026
IN DEPTH: What the election could mean for the Amazon
Brazil is heading back to the polls, but the impact could be felt worldwide.
With the Amazon vital to the health of the planet, the election could help shape its future.
Read DW’s full story on the planet-sized consequences of Brazil’s election.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Oe5OSkip next section WATCH: One community’s divide over crime and policing10/25/2026October 25, 2026
WATCH: One community’s divide over crime and policing
Rio’s deadliest police raid left 122 people dead and divided a community. As voters weigh crime against police violence, Brazil’s election battle is playing out in the streets of the district of Penha.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/5Oe5LSkip next section Flavio Bolsonaro urges Brazilians to vote ‘rain or shine’10/25/2026October 25, 2026
Flavio Bolsonaro urges Brazilians to vote ‘rain or shine’
Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro has urged voters to turn out “rain or shine” to change the country’s direction, accusing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of leaving Brazilians fearful.
“Brazil will change. Brazil will win,” said the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, arguing that conditions had worsened over the past four years.
The opposition candidate criticized Lula’s record on security and the economy, saying voters should not persist with a “mistake.”
Bolsonaro cast his ballot at a school in Rio de Janeiro’s Vila Isabel neighborhood around 20 minutes after polls opened. Wearing a yellow shirt, he arrived in the rain with his wife, Fernanda, amid heavy security.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Oe5MSkip next section Lula accuses Bolsonaro of preferring the US flag10/25/2026October 25, 2026
Lula accuses Bolsonaro of preferring the US flag
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says voters are choosing between a candidate who defends Brazil’s flag and one who prefers the US flag, referring to his right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro.
The right “wants to govern with the American flag,” the leftist incumbent said after casting his ballot in Sao Bernardo do Campo, near Sao Paulo.
Lula, who is seeking a fourth, nonconsecutive term, also said Brazilians had taken to the streets to defend their gains.
“What I saw in this runoff was not about a political party or a trade union. People took to the streets to defend their gains,” he told reporters.
He also warned about political violence, citing a brick thrown at a supporter of his leftist Workers’ Party (PT) in Montes Claros. “It shows what is at stake,” he said.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Oe6SSkip next section Welcome to our coverage10/25/2026October 25, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Thank you for joining us today as we bring you the latest from the final round of Brazil‘s presidential election.
Polls opened at 8 a.m. this morning (1100 GMT) and are set to close at 5 p.m. (2000 GMT), based on time in the capital Brasilia. The first results are expected 30-60 minutes after polls close.
President Lula, 80, is hoping to turn around his defeat in the first round to Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro who is currently imprisoned for trying to overturn the previous election.
Flavio has said he would free his father if he wins and give him a role in his cabinet.
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