Brazil Election 2026 results: Flavio Bolsonaro, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva fail to win Presidential polls, Brazil heads for runoff. Check date, procedure, what will happen now

Brazil Election 2026 results are finally out. Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, and Brazil’s veteran President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will face off in a runoff October 25 for the top job of Latin America’s powerhouse economy. The country’s electoral court in Brasilia said neither the 80-year-old incumbent, seeking his fourth non-consecutive term, nor the 45-year-old son of former President Jair Bolsonaro would garner the more than 50 per cent of the total vote needed for an outright win.

Brazil’s electoral court in Brasilia had Bolsonaro with just over 55.8 million votes to Lula’s nearly 53.2 million. Both candidates were poised to address supporters.

Trump allies have fared well in recent elections in Latin America, including in Argentina, Colombia, Honduras and Peru. Lula has accused the U.S. administration of trying to sway his country’s election to Bolsonaro by imposing tariffs, revoking the visa of country’s ambassador to Washington, and imposing sanctions on government officials and one Supreme Court justice.


The Trump administration did not respond to a request for comment on whether it is seeking to interfere in the vote.

The next presidential term begins on January 5, 2027. The winner will be in charge of Latin America’s biggest economy and a population of 214 million. A win for Bolsonaro would increase U.S. influence in Latin America. If Lula wins, Brazil will keep its distance from Washington and continue to deepen its relationship with China.

Flavio Bolsonaro vs Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Runoff

Both Lula and Bolsonaro will have three weeks to reach moderate voters who did not support them in the first round. Ronaldo Caiado and Renan Santos, two candidates who found moderate support in Sunday’s election, have previously said they will not endorse either bidder in the runoff.

With another 21 days of campaign ahead, Lula is expected to try to capitalize on the popularity of his social policies and his rival’s many legal woes.

While the once widely popular Lula saw his approval ratings plummet during his third term, standing up to the U.S. gave him a boost. And he still enjoys a strong base of supporters who credit his social policies for improving millions of Brazilians’ lives.

But the incumbent faces a tough battle because of an affordability crisis and a corruption scandal that ensnared the same justice who led the investigation into Bolsonaro.

Senator Bolsonaro will likely lean into his messaging on affortability and link the president to corruption scandals.

He has promised to crack down on Brazilian criminal groups and insisted that Brazil needs to strike better deals with the Trump administration, including in the rare minerals economy, second only to China. Bolsonaro also has campaigned on releasing his father and bringing him back to politics.

“Brazil needs change. Brazil can’t stand so much suffering,” he told reporters at the Rio de Janeiro voting center, where he cast his vote Sunday.

Both candidates face image problems: Roughly half of Brazil’s population disapproves of the Bolsonaro family, and roughly half disapprove of Lula’s Workers Party, according to multiple polls.

Four years ago, Lula beat then incumbent Jair Bolsonaro by about 2.1 million votes.

No significant fraud has ever been detected since Brazil adopted its electronic voting system in the 1990s. The Organization of American States’ electoral observation mission reported Sunday that “the voting has been going smoothly and under adequate safety conditions.” Electoral authorities have assured that electronic votes are secure and verifiable.