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Preliminary results show the incumbent securing a fourth term with 51.75% of the vote, defeating Flavio Bolsonaro
Published 25 Oct, 2026 21:49 | Updated 26 Oct, 2026 00:20
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has won reelection as Brazil’s president, defeating right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of jailed former President Jair Bolsonaro and an ally of US President Donald Trump.
With 99.76% of polling stations counted, Lula secured 51.75% of valid votes against Bolsonaro’s 48.25%, according to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), which has declared the result mathematically decided.
The victory means Latin America’s largest economy is set to maintain its prominent role in BRICS rather than shift closer to Washington under the Bolsonaro political dynasty. The defeated challenger had openly questioned Brazil’s membership in the bloc, accusing Lula of using it to antagonize the United States.
The bitterly contested runoff was marred by mutual accusations of electoral abuses, with Lula’s campaign alleging that local authorities deliberately restricted public transport in areas where he enjoyed strong support. The incumbent accused several mayors of trying to prevent people from voting and threatened legal action.
In Salvador, an electoral judge even ordered the arrest of the municipal transport secretary after dozens of buses were kept in garages. City officials blamed the disruption on campaign stickers allegedly placed on vehicles by Lula supporters.
The controversy prompted Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin, Lula’s former personal lawyer, to extend voting hours nationwide by two hours. However, the order came after the original 5pm deadline, when many polling stations had already closed and sealed their electronic voting machines.
Bolsonaro’s campaign, which had separately requested extensions in several cities affected by severe weather, denounced the nationwide ruling as politically motivated. His allies questioned why some polling stations remained open while others could not reopen, raising concerns about possible electoral manipulation.
Senior judges from the Supreme Court and Superior Electoral Court have privately acknowledged procedural errors in handling the extension and expect legal challenges, according to Folha de S.Paulo. However, they have reportedly ruled out annulling or repeating the election, despite the confusion surrounding the vote.
Follow our live updates for the latest results, reactions and developments:
26 October 2026
00:25 GMT
Bolsonaro ally and newly elected congressman Lucas Pavanato has declared that he will not accept defeat in the presidential election.
“Understand this: In this election, we do not accept ‘losing,’” he wrote on X.
Pavanato has also called for the impeachment of Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin over his decision to extend voting hours by two hours.
00:15 GMT
Lula has secured reelection for a historic fourth term, defeating Flavio Bolsonaro in the presidential runoff, according to preliminary results by Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE).
With 99.76% of polling stations counted, Lula has received 51.75% of valid votes against Bolsonaro’s 48.25%, a lead of more than 4.3 million votes.
The TSE has declared the result mathematically decided, with the remaining ballots unable to change the outcome.
00:09 GMT
Senior judges from Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) and Superior Electoral Court (TSE) have acknowledged procedural errors in the controversial decision to extend voting hours and expect legal challenges from the losing campaign, Folha de S.Paulo reports.
The judges reportedly criticized delays by both courts that left many polling stations unable to implement the last-minute order, as their electronic voting machines had already been sealed.
Despite the confusion, the judges currently rule out annulling or repeating the election, according to the newspaper.
00:07 GMT
Brazil’s Federal Police recorded 57 suspected electoral offenses and took 71 people to police stations during the runoff, according to figures released by the force covering incidents up to 7pm Brasília time.
The main suspected offenses involved illegal campaigning and violations of ballot secrecy, Metrópoles reported.
00:03 GMT
Lula has widened his lead over Bolsonaro to 51.58% against 48.42%, with 90.35% of polling stations counted, according to official electoral figures. The incumbent now leads by more than 3.5 million votes, with just under 10% of polling stations yet to report.
25 October 2026
23:57 GMT
Cheers erupt in São Paulo as Lula widens his lead over Bolsonaro, with supporters celebrating in the streets, according to footage shared by Metrópoles.
🗳️ ELEIÇÕES | Virada de Lula na apuração gera gritaria e fogos de artifício em São Paulo https://t.co/Yxe1yYv9uW
— Metrópoles (@Metropoles) October 25, 202623:51 GMT
Lula has widened his lead over Bolsonaro to 51.11% against 48.89%, with 75% of the vote counted.
23:48 GMT
Lula and his supporters celebrate as he retakes the lead over Bolsonaro, with footage shared by Brazilian outlet Metrópoles capturing their jubilant reaction.
➡️ Lula e apoiadores celebram virada durante apuração dos votos https://t.co/VV0UMwHjzN
— Metrópoles (@Metropoles) October 25, 202623:44 GMT
Mounted police in riot gear have been deployed to São Paulo’s Paulista Avenue amid heightened tensions surrounding the closely contested runoff, according to footage circulating online.
🇧🇷☄️Cavalaria policial com equipamento antimotim chega à Avenida Paulista enquanto apoiadores de Lula se reúnem. Clima tenso. https://t.co/up2c1EfiHc
— Geopolítica na Veia (@radargeo) October 25, 202623:40 GMT
Lula has widened his lead over Flavio Bolsonaro as the vote count passes 61%, securing 50.55% against his rival’s 49.45%.
The margin has grown to 1.1 percentage points, up from just 0.3 points when slightly over half of polling stations had been counted.
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