Brazilians Vote in Closely Watched, Polarized Presidential Election

Millions of Brazilians are heading to the polls Sunday for a presidential election dominated by two main rivals: incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former leader Jair Bolsonaro.

While 12 candidates are on the ballot, only da Silva and Bolsonaro are considered to have a realistic chance of winning. If neither candidate secures more than 50% of the vote, a runoff election will be held on October 25.

Lula, 80, is a veteran of presidential politics, running in his seventh election. Bolsonaro, 45, is seeking to bring his family's political movement back to power after his father's term from 2019 to 2022.

The two candidates represent opposing ends of the political spectrum, with starkly different approaches to key issues such as organized crime and Brazil's international partnerships.

Brazilians, aged 18 and over, are required to vote, with a small fine imposed for unjustified abstention. On Sunday, voters will also elect federal and state representatives, along with governors and some senators. The election uses electronic voting machines, adopted in the 1990s to combat fraud and ensure swift results, often reported within hours of polls closing.

Lula, a former union leader whose corruption convictions were later annulled, has inspired strong devotion in the past. However, his current term has seen fluctuating approval ratings, with concerns over crime and the cost of living potentially impacting his vote. He has pledged to prioritize the benefits of Brazil's natural resources for its citizens, protect the Amazon rainforest, and continue his signature welfare program, Bolsa Família.

Senator Bolsonaro, whose father is currently serving a 27-year sentence for a coup attempt and is barred from running, has largely adopted his father's conservative platform. He has emphasized his hardline security policies, proposing measures such as building "megaprisons" similar to those in El Salvador and reducing the age of criminal responsibility to 16. He has also advocated for designating transnational gangs as terrorist organizations, aligning with approaches seen under the Trump administration.

Deforestation in the Amazon, which reached record highs during Jair Bolsonaro's presidency, remains a contentious issue. His son has denied the existence of human-caused climate change and has only committed to halting illegal deforestation.

Senator Bolsonaro's campaign has faced scrutiny due to an admission of accepting millions of dollars from a disgraced banker for a film about his father's life. He is currently under investigation for corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion in connection with this matter.

Lula has publicly warned the U.S. against interfering in Brazil's elections. The U.S. previously imposed tariffs on Brazilian goods, citing Jair Bolsonaro's trial and alleged unfair trade practices, and also designated Brazilian drug-trafficking groups as foreign terrorist organizations shortly after Senator Bolsonaro's visit to the White House. Lula opposed both of these actions.

A victory for Senator Bolsonaro could align Brazil with other Latin American nations that have recently elected governments seen as friendly to former U.S. President Donald Trump. Lula has made defending Brazilian sovereignty a central theme, using cultural references to caution against foreign influence.