Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro conclude campaigns ahead of Brazil's first‑round election

Brazil’s presidential election entered its final phase on Saturday as incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro concluded their respective campaigns ahead of the first‑round vote on Sunday. Lula finished his campaign with a march through São Paulo that organizers said attracted around 150,000 supporters along a two‑kilometre stretch of Augusta Street, while Bolsonaro participated in a motorcycle caravan through Santa Bárbara d’Oeste and Americana before rallying in Rio de Janeiro.

Both candidates expressed confidence in victory. Speaking from a campaign vehicle, Lula framed the election as a choice between “democracy and barbarism,” and his party’s leader, Edinho Silva, described the turnout as evidence of growing momentum for the leftist Workers’ Party. Bolsonaro urged his supporters to turn out in large numbers and indicated that he believed the conditions were set for a first‑round win.

When the votes were tallied, neither candidate secured the majority required to avoid a runoff. The electoral authority reported that, with more than 97 % of ballots counted, Bolsonaro received 47.45 % of valid votes, roughly 55.8 million, while Lula obtained 44.66 %, about 53.2 million. Consequently, a second round has been scheduled for 25 October, pitting the two frontrunners against each other.

The runoff will give the candidates three weeks to court voters who backed other contenders in the first round. Candidates such as Ronaldo Caiado and Renan Santos, who garnered moderate support, have publicly stated they will not endorse either Lula or Bolsonaro in the upcoming contest.

Throughout the campaign, the cost of living, corruption and public security have dominated the political discourse. Lula is expected to highlight his administration’s social policies and contrast them with Bolsonaro’s political and legal background, while Bolsonaro has focused on law‑and‑order themes. Observers note that Lula’s approval ratings have slipped during his term, a factor both campaigns are likely to address in the runoff.

The forthcoming runoff on 25 October will determine whether Brazil continues under Lula’s leadership for a fourth non‑consecutive term or shifts to Bolsonaro, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro and an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump. Both candidates are poised to intensify their outreach to undecided voters as the nation awaits the decisive second round.