Polls extended in Brazil’s presidential runoff between incumbent Lula and challenger Bolsonaro

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October 25, 2026

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A combination photo showing presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro (left) and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (right) taking part in a debate on October 18, 2026 — Pre-election polls between Bolsonaro (left) and Lula (right) put them neck-and-neckImage: Nelson Almeida/AFP

Skip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

Voting extended for 2 more hours
Lula has won almost 80% of the votes cast by Brazilian voters in Germany
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 Voting extended after complaints by both sides10/25/2026October 25, 2026

Voting extended after complaints by both sides

Brazil’s Supreme Court has moved to extend voting time in the presidential election until 7 p.m. local time (2200 GMT), giving voters an additional two hours.

The decision comes amid complaints from Lula’s team that public bus services had been hampered, blocking people from getting to polling stations.

At the same time, Bolsonaro’s team complained of weather conditions in certain regions making it more difficult for people to get out and vote.

https://p.dw.com/p/5Oec1Skip next section Lula asks for polls to stay open longer after people ‘barred from voting’10/25/2026October 25, 2026

Lula asks for polls to stay open longer after people ‘barred from voting’

President Lula has requested an extension to poll opening hours after buses were taken out of circulation in Sao Paolo, the country’s largest city, which he said prevented many people from voting.

“We are asking the Supreme Court to extend the electoral process so that those who were effectively barred from voting, due to the dirty tactics of mayors, can still cast their votes,” Lula said, according to AFP.

Lula said 40% of buses in the city had been prevented from going into service, a claim that matched local media reports saying 75 buses had been blocked from leaving garages.

“I’ve never complained about anything in any election before. Whether I won or lost, I’d just accept it and get ready for the next one. But this time, something abominable is happening,” he said.

“No one should give up on voting just because some scoundrel of a business owner or some crooked, criminal mayor tried to stop the people from casting their ballots.”

https://p.dw.com/p/5OeSDSkip next section Results show Brazilian voters in Germany back Lula10/25/2026October 25, 2026

Results show Brazilian voters in Germany back Lula

Five strips of paper with official emblems and text stuck to glass at the Brazilian Embassy in Berlin — The results of the Berlin vote in Sunday’s election were posted by the embassyImage: Rayanne Azevedo/DW

Brazilians in Germany have voted overwhelmingly for Lula, according to figures posted by Brazilian Embassies across the country and seen by DW’s Portuguese service.

The left-wing incumbent, Lula, won 79.09% of the ballots cast by the 20,923 voters across Germany. This marks an increase on the 71.9% he won in the first round.

Brazilian voters in Germany could vote at embassies in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfurt and Munich.

The German capital saw the greatest support for Lula, with 88.77% of the votes going his way. Frankfurt was the city with the greatest support for Bolsonaro, but on 29.03% he still trailed his opponent by some margin.

The turnout also increased in the second round in comparison to the first round when it stood at 19,322. However, for both rounds, only around half of the 41,552 eligible voters turned out to vote. Across the world, there are some 918,900 eligible voters for Sunday’s election.

https://p.dw.com/p/5OeQOSkip next section IN PHOTOS: Almost 160 million called out to vote10/25/2026October 25, 2026

IN PHOTOS: Almost 160 million called out to vote

A supporter of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, votes in the presidential runoff in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026 — Many voters make it clear who they’re voting for with what they’re wearing, for example red usually means a Lula supporter. Here it is confirmed with the 13, the number to pick Lula on the voting machineImage: Natacha Pisarneko/AP Photo/picture alliance

Supporters of Flavio Bolsonaro with banners and flags cheer outside a polling station where Brazilians living in Portugal are voting in the presidential elections, in Lisbon, on October 25 — Bolsonaro supporters, on the other hand, are more likely to wear yellow and green, especially the national soccer team’s jersey, as exemplified by Bolsonaro supporters living in LisbonImage: Filipe Amorim/AFP

Voters line up to enter a polling station during the presidential runoff in the Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026 — Brazil is home to several very large, densely populated cities, such as Rio de Janeiro seen here, which pose their own logistical challenges for election organisers and can lead to long queuesImage: Bruna Prado/AP Photo/picture alliance

Electoral workers load electronic voting machines onto a boat for transport to riverside communities ahead of Brazil's presidential runoff election in Autazes, Amazonas state, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026 — Setting up polling stations for voters in Brazil’s Amazon region is a different kind of challenge, as seen here with officials loading booths onto a boat to take them to their desinationImage: Edmar Barros/AP Photo/picture alliance

Soldiers stand guard during the presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026 — The threat of disruption could undermine the results, so for such a largescale operation, soldiers have also been deployedImage: Lucas Landau/AP Photo/picture alliance

https://p.dw.com/p/5OeQISkip next section What role is Trump playing in Brazil’s election?10/25/2026October 25, 2026

What role is Trump playing in Brazil’s election?

Supporters of Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party (PL) hold an inflatable of U.S. President Donald Trump, as they attend a rally on Independence Day, in Sao Paulo, Brazil September 7, 2026 — Trump has increasingly meddled in South American politics in his second term, including a military operation to topple Venezuela’s President MaduroImage: Alexandre Meneghini/REUTERS

Although he hasn’t endorsed either candidate, US President Donald Trump is close to the Bolsonaro family.

Not only did the senior Bolsonaro imitate Trump’s rhetoric and policies, he also refused to concede defeat after losing to Lula in 2022, leading to his imprisonment for an attempted coup, provoking comparisons with Trump’s own defeat to Joe Biden in 2020.

On the other side, Lula has presented himself as a defense against US interference.

The right “wants to govern with the American flag,” Lula said after casting his ballot on Sunday.

A Bolsonaro win would mark a further move in Latin America toward pro-US far-right leaders, following in the footsteps of countries such as Colombia, Chile and Peru.

https://p.dw.com/p/5Oe8nSkip next section Results expected within hours of polls closing10/25/2026October 25, 2026

Results expected within hours of polls closing

Kassio Nunes Marques, president of Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) gestures in a polling station before voting begins during Brazil's presidential runoff election, in Brasilia, Brazil, October 25, 2026 — Kassio Nunes Marques said a quick result is what happens in ‘practically all elections’ in BrazilImage: Mateus Bonomi/REUTERS

The president of Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court, Kassio Nunes Marques, has said he expects the winner of Sunday’s vote to be announced officially between 8.30 p.m. and 9 p.m. (2330 and 0000 GMT), according to A Folha de Sao Paolo.

Brazil uses an electronic voting system meaning that ballots can be tallied quicker than in elections where paper votes are counted by hand.

However, the gap between the winner and loser is expected to be small, with the two running head-to-head in pre-election polls.

https://p.dw.com/p/5OeFMSkip next section Supreme Court president urges candidates to accept result of vote10/25/2026October 25, 2026

Supreme Court president urges candidates to accept result of vote

Brazil's Supreme Court Chief Justice Edson Fachin attends a ceremony at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, September 4, 2026 — Fachin is the president of Brazil’s top courtImage: Adriano Machado/REUTERS

The head of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court, Edson Fachin, has called for the candidates to respect the result of Sunday’s vote.

“It’s important to remember that all authority and power comes from the people and, thus, it is fundamental that the choices that derive from the manifestation of popular sovereignty are respected,” he said as he left his local polling station, according to A Folha de Sao Paulo.

“Brazil needs peace and calm to, from tomorrow, be able to confront the major challenges in many areas that demand the presence of the state.”

Some observers have posited that Flavio Bolsonaro could refuse to accept a Lula victory, like his father before him, with the potential for violence to erupt.

https://p.dw.com/p/5OeApSkip 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

Louise Osborne

A stretch of cleared forest next to a stretch of rainforest, Mato Grosso, Brazil — Around 60% of the Amazon rainforest is within Brazil’s bordersImage: Paralaxis/Visually/picture alliance

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’

Flavio Bolsonaro and his wife Fernanda make V-for-victory signs at a polling station in Rio de Janeiro — Flavio Bolsonaro, pictured with his wife Fernanda, is challenging President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brazil’s presidential runoffImage: Mauro Pimentel/AFP

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

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gives a thumbs-up at a polling station in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil — Lula cast his ballot in Sao Bernardo do Campo, where he began his political career as a union leaderImage: Nelson Almeida/AFP

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.

https://p.dw.com/p/5Oe5KShow more posts