Brazil runoff count resumes after court extends voting hours

· Politics · Brazil

Brazilians voted on Sunday in a runoff between leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of the convicted former president Jair Bolsonaro. Voting was extended by two hours after Brazil's Supreme Court acted on a complaint from Lula's campaign, forcing electoral authorities to pause a count already under way. With roughly half counted, Lula pulled ahead after Bolsonaro had overtaken him earlier, according to reports. Both candidates had complained of transport delays for voters. Nearly 160 million Brazilians were eligible. The city's electoral court ordered the bus fleet fully restored and police arrested the municipal transport secretary. The candidates were neck and neck in polls after Bolsonaro's stronger-than-expected first round.

Why it matters：Latin America's largest democracy is deciding between two sharply opposed visions in a race with global implications for the region's conservative shift and its ties with Washington.

Key points

  • The Supreme Court extended voting by two hours after a campaign complaint, pausing a count already begun.
  • Nearly 160 million Brazilians were eligible to vote.
  • The municipal transport secretary was arrested as the electoral court ordered the bus fleet restored.

Sources (original reporting)

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