Bolsonaro edges past Lula as nail-biter Brazil vote goes to a run-off

Brazil's presidential election will go to a run-off after neither of the top two candidates secured a majority in the first round. Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, received around 47% of the vote, while President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva secured approximately 44.9-45%. According to Channel News Asia, the run-off election is scheduled for October 25.

The election campaign focused on issues such as the growing cost of living, corruption, and insecurity in Brazilians' daily lives. Lula, who is seeking a fourth term at 80 years old, described the vote as a "battle between democracy and barbarism," warning that Brazil's sovereignty was at stake. Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, had a relatively low national profile before receiving backing from his jailed father.

The outcome was a surprise, as private surveys had forecast Lula leading the first-round vote by around three percentage points. RTE News reported that if Flavio Bolsonaro wins the run-off, Brazil will be the latest country to swing to the right in Latin America, a trend championed by US President Donald Trump. Lula stated that his first-round election setback was "unexpected," but vowed to come back stronger in the run-off.

Brief written by urgent.news from Toronto Sun, Channel News Asia, RTE News, Times of India, ABC News AU — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.