🔴 Live: Bolsonaro refuses to recognise Brazil election results

Lula thanks voters for his victory, Flavio Bolsonaro does not recognize the results It is the first time in the country’s history since the return of democracy that a candidate who lost in the first round manages to come back and win in the runoff. The left-wing president obtained 51.7% of the votes, compared with the 48.2% received by right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. Veteran pro-union President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva suddenly found himself the underdog after right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro took 47% compared to 45% for the incumbent in the October 4 first round. A combative, three-week run-off campaign turned the political atmosphere electric. The left threw all its energy into securing a comeback, taking to the streets and mobilising on social media – notably with a WhatsApp channel dubbed "Lula’s Army" that now boasts 8.5 million subscribers. Finally, Lula, a former labor leader, sought and won a fourth (non-consecutive) term in what he has framed as his final battle. - Lula surprises in the runoff and wins Brazil’s presidential election - “It is impossible to recognize this election; we are going to request its annulment”: Bolsonaro - Lula delivers his first victory speech after reelection - Supreme Court approves extending voting by two hours across Brazil - A tense campaign ahead of the run-off marked by name-calling and accusations “It is impossible to recognize this election; we are going to request its annulment”: Bolsonaro Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party (PL) arrives to speak after losing the presidential runoff election, in Brasilia, Brazil October 25, 2026. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian From Brasilia, candidate Flavio Bolsonaro delivered his speech after the results were announced. He spoke briefly and said it was difficult to acknowledge the results given the current context. The Supreme Court ordered the voting period to be extended by two more hours after Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s campaign filed an appeal alleging delays in voter transportation. “This country will not accept being anyone’s backyard”: Lula He also stood up for Brazil’s sovereignty. Donald Trump has supported several candidates in Latin America, as he did with Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia and Daniel Noboa in Ecuador. The Republican also backed the Bolsonaro family during the campaign. The Workers' Party candidate also said “I am going to deliver the best term that any president has ever had in this country” and he added that he will govern for all Brazilians, despite the polarization. Lula delivers his first victory speech after reelection Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Workers' Party (PT) candidate for re-election, smiles as he gathers with supporters after winning the presidential runoff in Sao Paulo, Brazil, October 25, 2026. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli “Thanks to the Brazilian people for their generosity, to the youth who took to the streets to defend democracy.” This is what Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in his victory speech from São Paulo. He also thanked those who helped convince others that “voting was very important to protect the country’s democracy.” He referred as well to the controversy involving Meta that reached the courts. “We had to overcome the external interference of digital platforms, which we are going to have to regulate,” Lula said. And he added that digital communications will be very important in his government—an essential point, since during the reelection campaign he doubled down on his efforts on social media. Leftist former presidents congratulate Lula on his victory Contrary to the trend set by recent elections in Latin America, the right did not win in Brazil. Various leftist former presidents from the region celebrated the victory of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. "Thank you, dear old friend, for never stopping the fight, for upholding the hope of a world," said Gabriel Boric of Chile. Meanwhile, Bolivian leader Evo Morales posted: "Your triumph renews the hope of the peoples who fight for social justice, dignity, and sovereignty." Former Colombian president also congratulated Lula. Abstention decreased in Brazil’s second round Lula’s campaign focused over the last three weeks on winning new votes in order to come back from Flavio Bolsonaro’s first-round victory. In that effort, securing votes from those who had abstained was essential. In the end, abstention was three million votes lower than in the first round. Although not all of those can be attributed directly to Lula, the difference between the president and Flavio Bolsonaro was just over four million votes in the runoff. According to the Superior Electoral Court, 33.4 million people abstained from voting on October 4, compared with 30.4 million abstentions in the runoff. Lula surprises in the runoff and wins Brazil’s presidential election Supporters of Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Workers' Party (PT) candidate for re-election, react to early result during the presidential runoff election, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, October 25, 2026. REUTERS/Amanda Perobell President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva went from losing in the first round with 45.16% of the votes to winning the runoff with a total of 51.79%, while right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro obtained 48.21%, according to the official count from the Superior Electoral Court. It is the first time in Brazil’s history since the return of democracy that a candidate who lost in the first round manages to win the runoff and become president. Lula widens his lead over Bolsonaro with 70% of the votes counted Supporters of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Workers' Party (PT) candidate for presidential re-election, gather to wait for the results of the presidential runoff election, on the outskirts of Brasilia, Brazil, October 25, 2026. REUTERS/Diego Herculano At this point, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has 50.92% of the votes, while Flavio Bolsonaro has 49.08%. During the count, the difference between both candidates did not exceed one percentage point, but that gap has now been surpassed and continues to grow in favor of the left-wing president. This is how Lula’s surge in the vote count was experienced in Rio de Janeiro Lula retakes the lead in the vote count with a minimal difference When half of the votes have been tallied, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has 50.14% of the vote. Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has 49.86%, according to the Superior Electoral Court. The difference between both candidates has not exceeded one percentage point during the count. Lula to win Brazil election runoff, AtlasIntel CEO says Although in the vote count President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is trailing by a narrow margin, the CEO of pollster AtlasIntel, Andrei Roman, predicts that Lula will be re-elected. Roman spoke to Reuters and made his predictions based on the ongoing vote count in the presidential runoff against Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. A slight lead for Flavio Bolsonaro with 20% of the votes counted The senator has 50.41% compared to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s 49.59%, as the TSE reports 20% of the votes counted. It is a difference of less than one percentage point. As in the first round, the states in northern Brazil support the outgoing left-wing president, while those in the south back the far-right candidate. Flavio overturns the results and takes the lead over Lula Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro waves as he arrives in Brasilia, Brazil, on the day of the presidential runoff election, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Although President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva began ahead in the Superior Electoral Court’s count, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro now has 50.04% of the votes. He began to lead the count from 13% of the votes tallied. Lula holds a slight lead with 5% of the votes counted Incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has 51.16% of the votes, which is just over two percentage points more than his runoff rival Flavio Bolsonaro. The Superior Electoral Court begins by counting votes cast abroad, where Lula won in the first round. Voting officially ends in Brazil and the counting resumes At 7:00 p.m. Brasilia time (10:00 p.m. GMT), the polling stations that were still operating closed. Now, the Superior Electoral Court is resuming the vote count that it had suspended after the Supreme Court ordered voting to be extended by two more hours. The extension of voting in Brazil causes confusion at the polls The Supreme Court’s decision came at around 5:00 p.m. Brasilia time (8:00 p.m. GMT), when the polls were supposed to close. Local media report that several polling stations had already shut down. In response, the Superior Electoral Court stated that “the election continues in progress only in the locations where voting had not been concluded by 5 p.m.” Meanwhile, the Workers’ Party (PT) and the Liberal Party called on its supporters to keep voting. Supreme Court approves extending voting by two hours across Brazil Cristiano Zanin is the Supreme Court justice who decided to extend voting in Brazil’s runoff on October 25. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) At the last minute, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ordered that voting in the country’s presidential runoff on Sunday be extended by two hours, until 7:00 p.m. Brasilia time (10:00 p.m. GMT). The decision grants a request from President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s campaign. A similar petition was sent to the Superior Electoral Court, but it has not made any decision. Meanwhile, the Superior Electoral Court has paused the counting of votes following the Supreme Court’s decision. Flavio Bolsonaro’s campaign also asked to extend the closing of the ballot boxes Their request is to extend the voting period by two hours, so that it ends at 7:00 p.m. Brasilia time. The appeal was submitted to the president of the Superior Electoral Court, Kassio Nunes Marques, and they are asking for the extension to apply in 17 municipalities in the states of São Paulo, Paraná, and Santa Catarina. Just like Lula’s Workers’ Party, the Liberal Party that supports Bolsonaro denounced delays in transportation. However, Flavio Bolsonaro’s campaign says that the transportation delays are due to the rains and flooding affecting those states. Lula’s campaign asks to extend voting in several cities The Workers’ Party made the request to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), alleging delays in transportation and a lack of buses to get to polling stations. Voting closes at 5:00 p.m. Brasilia time, and the PT is asking for it to be extended until 7:00 p.m. The request applies to some cities such as Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, among others. The TSE has not yet responded to the request. Keywords for this article