Skip to next section Voting extended after complaints from both parties 10/25/2026 October 25, 2026 Voting extended after complaints from both parties Brazil’s Supreme Court moved to extend voting time in the presidential election to 7 pm local time (2200 GMT), giving voters an additional two hours. The decision came amid complaints from Lula’s team that public bus services had been hampered, preventing people from reaching polling stations. At the same time, Bolsonaro’s team complained that weather conditions in certain regions made it difficult for people to go out and vote. https://p.dw.com/p/5Oec1Skip next section Lula calls for polls to stay open longer after people were ‘forbidden to vote’10/25/2026October 25, 2026Lula calls for polls to stay open longer after people are ‘forbidden to vote’President Lula has requested an extension of the polls’ opening hours after buses were taken out of circulation in Sao Paulo, the largest city in the country, which, according to him, prevented many people from voting. “We ask the Supreme Court to extend the electoral process so that those who were effectively prevented from voting, due to the dirty tactics of the mayors, can still cast their vote,” Lula said, according to AFP. Lula said that 40% of the city’s buses had been prevented from entering service, a claim that was consistent with local media reports that said 75 buses had been prevented from leaving garages. “I have never complained about anything in any election before. Win or lose, I would just accept it and prepare for the next one. But this time, something abhorrent is happening,” he said. “No one should give up voting just because some crooked businessman or some corrupt, criminal mayor tried to stop people from casting their votes.” https://p.dw.com/p/5OeSDSkip next section Results show that Brazilian voters in Germany support Lula25/10/2026October 25, 2026Results show that Brazilian voters in Germany support LulaThe results of the Berlin vote in Sunday’s elections were published by the embassyImage: Rayanne Azevedo/DWBrazilians in Germany have voted overwhelmingly for Lula, according to figures published by the Brazilian embassies throughout the country and seen by DW’s Portuguese service. The current leftist president, Lula, won 79.09% of the votes cast by the 20,923 voters throughout Germany. This marks an increase from the 71.9% he won in the first round. Brazilian voters in Germany could vote at the embassies in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfurt and Munich. The German capital received the greatest support for Lula, with 88.77% of the votes in his favor. Frankfurt was the city with the most support for Bolsonaro, but at 29.03% he was still behind his opponent by some margin. Turnout also increased in the second round compared to the first, when it was 19,322. However, in both rounds, only about half of the 41,552 eligible voters turned out to vote. Around the world there are about 918,900 voters eligible for Sunday’s elections. https://p.dw.com/p/5OeQOSkip next section IN PHOTOS: Almost 160 million called to vote25/10/202625/10/2026IN PHOTOS: Almost 160 million called to voteMany voters make it clear who they vote for with the way they dress, for example red usually means a supporter of Lula. Here it is confirmed with 13, the number to elect Lula in the voting machine. Image: Natacha Pisarneko/AP Photo/Picture Alliance Bolsonaro supporters, on the other hand, are more likely to wear yellow and green, especially the national soccer team jersey, as exemplified by Bolsonaro supporters living in Lisbon. Image: Filipe Amorim/AFP Brazil is home to several very large, densely populated cities, such as Rio de Janeiro, seen here, which pose their own logistical challenges for election organizers and can lead to long queuesImage: Bruna Prado/AP Photo/picture Alliance Setting up polling stations for voters in Brazil’s Amazon region is a different kind of challenge, as seen here with officials loading cabins onto a boat to take them to their destination Image: Edmar Barros/AP Photo/picture Alliance The threat of disruption could undermine the results, so for such a large-scale operation, soldiers have also been deployedImage: Lucas Landau/AP Photo/picture Alliance https://p.dw.com/p/5OeQISkip next section What role is Trump playing in Brazil’s elections?10/25/2026October 25, 2026What role is Trump playing in Brazil’s elections?Trump has He increasingly meddled in South American politics during his second term, including a military operation to overthrow President Maduro of VenezuelaImage: Alexandre Meneghini/REUTERSAlthough he has not endorsed either candidate, US President Donald Trump is close to the Bolsonaro family. Father Bolsonaro not only imitated Trump’s rhetoric and policies, but also refused to admit defeat after losing to Lula in 2022, which led to him being jailed for an attempted coup, drawing comparisons with Trump’s own loss to Joe Biden in 2020. On the other hand, Lula has presented himself as a defense against American interference. The right “wants to govern with the American flag,” Lula said after casting his vote on Sunday. A victory for Bolsonaro would mark a new step in Latin America towards pro-American far-right leaders, following in the footsteps of countries such as Colombia, Chile and Peru. https://p.dw.com/p/5Oe8nSkip next section Results expected a few hours after the polls close25/10/2026October 25, 2026Results expected a few hours after the polls closeKassio Nunes Marques said that a quick result is what happens in “practically all elections” in BrazilImage: Mateus Bonomi/REUTERSThe president of the Superior Electoral Court of Brazil, Kassio Nunes Marques has said that he expects the winner of Sunday’s vote to be officially announced between 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. (11:30 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. GMT), according to A Folha de Sao Paolo. Brazil uses an electronic voting system, meaning ballots can be counted faster than in elections where paper votes are counted by hand. However, the gap between the winner and loser is expected to be small as the two compete head-to-head in pre-election polls. https://p.dw.com/p/5OeFMSkip next section The president of the Supreme Court urges the candidates to accept the result of the vote25/10/2026October 25, 2026The president of the Supreme Court urges the candidates to accept the result of the voteFachin is the president of Brazil’s highest courtImage: Adriano Machado/REUTERSThe president of the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil, Edson Fachin, has asked the candidates to Respect the result of Sunday’s vote. “It is important to remember that all authority and power comes from the people and, therefore, it is essential that the elections that derive from the manifestation of popular sovereignty are respected,” he said as he left his local polling station, according to A Folha de Sao Paulo. “Brazil needs peace and tranquility to, starting tomorrow, be able to face the great challenges in many areas that require the presence of the State.” Some observers have suggested that Flavio Bolsonaro could refuse to accept a Lula victory, as his father did before him, with the potential for violence to break out. https://p.dw.com/p/5OeApSkip next section IN DEPTH: What the elections could mean for the Amazon10/25/2026October 25, 2026IN DEPTH: What the elections could mean for the AmazonAround 60% of the Amazon rainforest lies within Brazil’s bordersImage: Paralaxis/Visually/picture AllianceBrazil is returning to the ballot boxes, but the impact could be felt around the world. Since the Amazon is vital to the health of the planet, elections could help shape its future. Read the full DW article on the planetary consequences of the Brazilian elections. https://p.dw.com/p/5Oe5OSkip next section WATCH: A community’s division over crime and policing 10/25/2026 October 25, 2026 WATCH: A community’s division over crime and policing Rio’s deadliest police raid left 122 people dead and divided a community. As voters weigh crime against police violence, Brazil’s electoral battle rages on the streets of the Penha district. Brazil elections: Voters in Rio divided over crime and policing To view this video, please enable JavaScript and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video https://p.dw.com/p/5Oe5LSomit next section Flavio Bolsonaro urges Brazilians to vote “rain or shine” 10/25/2026October 25, 2026Flavio Bolsonaro urges Brazilians to vote “rain or shine” Flavio Bolsonaro, pictured with his wife Fernanda, challenges President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil’s presidential runoff. Image: Mauro Pimentel/AFP Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro has urged voters to turn out “rain or shine” to change the country’s direction, accusing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of leaving Brazilians fearful. “Brazil will change. Brazil will win,” said the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, arguing that conditions had worsened in the last four years. The opposition candidate criticized Lula’s record on security and the economy, saying voters should not persist in a “mistake.” Bolsonaro cast his vote at a school in the Vila Isabel neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro about 20 minutes after the polls opened. Dressed in a yellow T-shirt, he arrived in the rain with his wife, Fernanda, amid tight security measures. https://p.dw.com/p/5Oe5MSkip next section Lula accuses Bolsonaro of preferring the American flag10/25/2026October 25, 2026Lula accuses Bolsonaro of preferring the American flagLula cast his vote in Sao Bernardo do Campo, where he began his political career as a union leaderImage: Nelson Almeida/AFPThe president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, says voters are choosing between a candidate who defends the Brazilian flag and one who prefers the United States flag, in reference to his right-wing rival Flavio Bolsonaro. The right “wants to govern with the American flag,” the leftist president said after casting his vote in Sao Bernardo do Campo, near Sao Paulo. Lula, who is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term, also said Brazilians had taken to the streets to defend their achievements. “What I saw in this second round was not about a political party or a union. People took to the streets to defend their achievements,” he told reporters. He also warned of political violence, citing a brick thrown at a supporter of his leftist Workers’ Party (PT) in Montes Claros. “This shows what is at stake,” he said. https://p.dw.com/p/5Oe6SSkip next section Welcome to our coverage 10/25/2026 October 25, 2026 Welcome to our coverage Thank you for joining us today as we bring you the latest from the final round of Brazil’s presidential elections. The polls opened at 8 am this morning (1100 GMT) and will close at 5 pm (2000 GMT), according to the time in the capital, Brasilia. The first results are expected between 30 and 60 minutes after the polls close. President Lula, 80, hopes to reverse his first-round loss to Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently imprisoned for trying to overturn the previous election. Flavio has said he would free his father if he wins and give him a position in his cabinet. https://p.dw.com/p/5Oe5K
