{
  "id": 11916801,
  "title": "Voting in Brazil's 2026 presidential election has begun, with polls showing Lula and Bolsonaro nearly tied",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/voting-in-brazils-2026-presidential-election-has-begun-with-polls-11916801",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-04T11:28:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "DW English (Top Stories)",
    "slug": "dw-english-top-stories",
    "url": "https://www.dw.com/en/voting-in-brazil-s-2026-presidential-election-has-begun-with-polls-showing-lula-and-bolsonaro-nearly-tied/a-79533857?maca=en-rss-en-top-1022-xml-mrss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Sunday, Brazilian voters began casting their ballots in the presidential election, with incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his opponent Senator Flavio Bolsonaro set to compete in a closely contested race. Preliminary polls suggest a neck-and-neck contest, with neither candidate expected to secure more than 50% of the vote and avoid a runoff. The election campaign concluded on Saturday in the country's economic hub, Sao Paulo.\n\nLula, an 80-year-old leftist leader, vowed to defeat the \"far right\" and framed the election as a choice between democracy and sovereignty, and barbarism and corruption. His campaign focused on continuing the Workers' Party platform, which advocates for welfare programs, state-funded development, and income redistribution.\n\nFlavio Bolsonaro, 45, is the right-wing populist who aims to continue the populist movement started by his father, Jair Bolsonaro. The senator has campaigned on hardline security policies and tax cuts, criticizing Lula as \"incompetent.\" Flavio Bolsonaro's campaign included a motorcycle parade through Sao Paulo's countryside cities of Santa Barbara d Oeste and Americana. The younger Bolsonaro has stated that he is more moderate than his father, though he acknowledges Jair Bolsonaro's influence.\n\nThe two leading candidates have been embroiled in a bitter campaign, with both sides utilizing online operations and slick videos or AI-generated images to sway voters. In September, it was revealed that Jair Bolsonaro is under investigation for alleged corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion related to a biopic about his father. Despite this, he has denied any wrongdoing. The latest polls indicate a dead heat between Lula and Bolsonaro, with Lula at 46% and Bolsonaro at 45%.",
  "summary": "Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of former far-right populist President Jair Bolsonaro, is taking on incumbent left-wing President Lula da Silva. Polls show the first round of voting will likely lead to a runoff.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 10,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "France 24",
        "title": "Brazil’s Lula gears up for ‘last dance’ with run for fourth presidential term",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/brazils-lula-gears-up-for-last-dance-with-run-for-fourth-presidential",
        "published": "2026-10-02T16:20:06.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "How the Banco Master scandal injected chaos into Brazil’s presidential race",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/how-the-banco-master-scandal-injected-chaos-into-brazils-presidential",
        "published": "2026-10-02T16:36:38.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Brazil’s Lula hails ‘bold’ Chinese investors as rival pitches rare earths to Trump",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/brazils-lula-hails-bold-chinese-investors-as-rival-pitches-rare",
        "published": "2026-10-02T21:04:21.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian",
        "title": "Brazil’s Lula says only he can stop rise of fascism under Bolsonaro’s son",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/brazils-lula-says-only-he-can-stop-rise-of-fascism-under-bolsonaros",
        "published": "2026-10-02T21:12:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News AU",
        "title": "Massive whale sanctuary rejected again, but Brazil vows to never stop trying",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/massive-whale-sanctuary-rejected-again-but-brazil-vows-to-never-stop",
        "published": "2026-10-02T22:18:41.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CNBC",
        "title": "Lula or Bolsonaro: Wall Street braces for two wildly different results in Brazil election",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/lula-or-bolsonaro-wall-street-braces-for-two-wildly-different-results",
        "published": "2026-10-03T13:12:27.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Investing.com",
        "title": "Lula ahead in polls for Brazil’s first-round vote; runoff likely",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/lula-ahead-in-polls-for-brazils-first-round-vote-runoff-likely",
        "published": "2026-10-04T01:00:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Live Mint",
        "title": "Brazil Elections 2026: Lula vs Bolsonaro — How a Left or Right win could shape ties with US, China | Explained",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/brazil-elections-2026-lula-vs-bolsonaro-how-a-left-or-right-win-could",
        "published": "2026-10-04T09:38:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "DW News",
        "title": "Voting in Brazil's 2026 presidential election has begun, with polls showing Lula and Bolsonaro nearly tied",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/voting-in-brazils-2026-presidential-election-has-begun-with-polls",
        "published": "2026-10-04T11:28:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}