Lula or Bolsonaro: Brazil’s future : more than 158.7 million people are eligible to vote

At 8:00 a.m. [local time] on October 25, polling stations in Brazil will open for the second round of the presidential election, in which the incumbent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, faces Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.

More than 158.7 million people are eligible to vote, according to figures provided by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).

In this South American giant, voting is mandatory for literate Brazilians between the ages of 18 and 70. For those who are illiterate, as well as for 16- and 17-year-olds and individuals over 70, voting is optional. Polling stations will remain open until 5:00 p.m.

Lula and Bolsonaro have reached the runoff after emerging as the two most-voted candidates in the first round, held on October 4; however, neither secured an absolute majority of the valid votes, that is, more than 50%, required to claim victory at that stage.

 In the first round, according to results from the TSE, Bolsonaro, of the Liberal Party (PL), secured 47.03% of the vote (56,104,503 ballots), while Lula, of the Workers' Party (PT), reached 45.16% (53,879,538).

However, there was another key factor that day: abstention. A total of 33,469,244 people, or 21.08% of the electorate, did not cast a vote. This group became a target for the candidates, who sought to win them over ahead of the runoff.

The vote count in this second round will bring an end to a tightly contested race, amid high anticipation regarding the outcome, a result that will be decisive both for the political landscape of Latin America and for Brazil’s relations with various global powers.

ℹ️ Content Notice: This text is an English translation and factual adaptation of news events, edited for clarity, neutrality and objective reporting.
Source of information: Global News Agencies including REUTERS / TASS / AFP / ANADOLU / INT.RU / Al Jazeera / CNN