The Latest: Brazilians vote in presidential election dominated by Lula and Bolsonaro

Brazilians cast their votes on Sunday in a crucial presidential election, primarily featuring incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his political rival, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. The election is the first of its kind in Brazil, with all eligible voters participating. The outcome will determine Brazil's future leadership and direction.

Preelection polls indicated that both candidates had a strong possibility of winning, but a runoff is scheduled for October 25 if neither candidate secures a majority. A total of 159 million Brazilians are eligible to vote, making it Latin America's largest economy's biggest electorate.

Flávio Bolsonaro, the senator's son, is an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump and the son of the ex-leader Jair Bolsonaro, whom Lula defeated four years prior. Brazil has been using electronic voting machines since the 1990s to prevent fraud, which was rampant in earlier elections. The electronic voting machines have proven effective, with results reported only hours after the polls close.

Jair Bolsonaro, the current president, frequently questioned the integrity of Brazil's electronic voting system prior to the 2022 election. However, no significant fraud has been detected thus far. Lula da Silva, aged 80, stands among the oldest leaders in the Americas. If he wins outright, he will become the oldest elected leader in South America's history, at the age of 120, as he hopes to live a long life.

Amid the intense political climate, Brazilians are electing not only the president but also 27 state governors, state legislature members, all 513 federal lower house members, and 54 of the country's 81 senators.