Brazil Vote: Lula Wins Narrowly Amid Poll Extension Chaos

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was re-elected president of Brazil on Sunday, winning 51.8 per cent of the vote after all ballots were counted. Brazil's electoral court reported that Lula, who turns 81 on Tuesday, finished with a lead of nearly 4.4 million votes over opponent Flávio Bolsonaro. The result gives Lula a non-consecutive fourth term that begins on Jan. 5, 2027.

The final tally ended an evening of confusion at polling stations across the country. Three minutes before voting was scheduled to stop, Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ruled to keep polls open for two more hours. Lula had requested the extension after problems with buses transporting voters in São Paulo and Salvador, while Bolsonaro sought it because of heavy rains in southern Brazil. At a Rio de Janeiro polling station, voting machines had already been switched off minutes after the scheduled closing time and could not be restarted. Bolsonaro said after the results were announced that he wants the election "anulled" over the extension. Nikolas Ferreira, an ally of Bolsonaro, noted that Zanin, who issued the ruling, previously served as Lula's lawyer.

In his address to supporters, Lula framed the outcome as a rejection of his opponent's campaign. "This was a defeat for denialism and lies," he said. "I must confess that every time I attended a debate, I felt embarrassed." He also pledged to respect all Brazilians regardless of gender or religion, and stated, "Either the homeland remains free or we die for Brazil." Lula's campaign released a video showing him celebrating with his wife, Rosângela Lula da Silva, and allies after the electoral court confirmed the result. Hundreds of supporters gathered on São Paulo's main avenue.

Bolsonaro led the first round earlier this month by more than 2.2 million votes. Sunday's outcome marks the first time since the end of Brazil's military dictatorship in 1985 that the candidate who finished second in the first round won the presidency. Lula's victory leaves Mexico and Brazil, the two most populous nations in Latin America, led by left-of-centre presidents. Brazil's economy generates $2.6 trillion US in annual GDP, and the result keeps the country positioned to operate independently of the United States despite tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. Lula joins Trump and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, all aged 80, as the oldest presidents in the Americas.