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NewsWPLG Local 10October 25, 2026Miami-Dade County

Brazilian voters choose between incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in presidential run

Photo: WPLG Local 10

Brazilian citizens head to the polls on Sunday to decide between incumbent left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and far-right Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. Polling places opened at 8:00 a.m. local time across multiple time zones, with nearly 159 million voters called to participate in the mandatory and optional voting system.

ElectionsPresidencyVotingInternational Politics
Read the full story at WPLG Local 10

Why It Matters

The election determines the leadership of Brazil and its political direction between left-wing governance and far-right leadership for the next presidential term, involving nearly 159 million eligible voters.

Key Facts

  • Nearly 159 million citizens are summoned to vote across more than 94,000 polling centers in Brazil and abroad.
  • Polling stations opened at 8:00 a.m. local time in the Distrito Federal and states under the Brasília time zone, with other regions opening one to two hours earlier.
  • Voting in Brazil is mandatory for literate citizens between 18 and 70 years old, while illiterate individuals, those over 70, and those aged 16 to 18 can choose whether to vote.
  • Failing to vote without justification incurs a small fine.
  • Flávio Bolsonaro cast his vote early at a local school in Rio de Janeiro accompanied by his wife, Fernanda Bolsonaro.
  • Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva previously served as president from 2003 to 2010 and again starting in 2023.
  • Flávio Bolsonaro's father is serving a sentence for attempting a coup d'état during his presidency from 2019 to 2022.

Who's Mentioned

locationAcre“State on the border with Bolivia and Peru”PersonEléonore Hughes“AP journalist”locationAmazonas“State with earlier polling opening times”locationDistrito Federal“Voting region”PersonFernanda Bolsonaro“Wife of Flávio Bolsonaro”locationPeru“Border country”locationSao Paulo“Dateline location”PersonLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva“Current president of Brazil seeking another term”locationMato Grosso“State with earlier polling opening times”locationBrasilia“Time zone reference”locationRio de Janeiro“Location where Flávio Bolsonaro voted”locationBolivia“Border country”PersonDonald Trump“US President aligned with Bolsonaro”locationBrasil“Country holding elections”PersonFlávio Bolsonaro“Senator and presidential candidate”