Some countries, from which Brazilians living overseas are able to vote, have already released preliminary vote count data.
In China, Lula won 56.63% of the votes, while Bolsonaro came in second with 31.33%. Lula also won in countries including South Korea, New Zealand and Saudi Arabia.
In Israel, however, Bolsonaro won 74.40% of the valid votes. He also won 71.59% of the valid votes in Japan.
Today’s result will also determine the composition of the Senate from February 2027 onwards, as 54 of the Senate’s 81 seats are being contested, representing two-thirds of the chamber.
Currently, the largest bloc in the Senate is Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party (PL), followed by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), which has served in a coalition government under Lula.
In the last election four years ago, Lula narrowly defeated Flávio Bolsonaro’s father, Jair. But the tumultuous aftermath of the election, which saw Jair Bolsonaro convicted of plotting a coup after thousands of his supporters stormed the Brazilian Congress, has had a lasting impact on the nation’s political life and this election.
Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup and is barred from standing for office.
Because of recurrent health problems, he is currently under house arrest rather than in a cell, but he has been prohibited from posting on social media or making public statements.
Despite these restrictions, there is little doubt that Flávio Bolsonaro has his father’s backing.
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