World
Brazil certifies Lula’s 51.8% win after Flávio refuses concession
The Bolsonaro family keeps major influence despite losing the presidency.
The Bolsonaro family keeps major influence despite losing the presidency.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a as Brazil’s president, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro by about 51.8% to 48.2%. Flávio led the , about 47% to 45%, showing that Jair Bolsonaro’s movement remained strong and Brazil was deeply divided. Polling stations stayed open two extra hours after complaints about transport, rain and floods. Both campaigns requested the extension, but Flávio later said it made the election unfair.
The confirmed Lula’s win. Flávio refused to concede and said he would ask courts to cancel the result. Election officials said the extra time did not affect the outcome, making a successful challenge unlikely. The case will test whether Brazil’s institutions accept the . Lula returns with a narrow mandate and a strong opposition tied to the Bolsonaro family’s effort to keep its influence.
Lula won a fourth elected presidential term after trailing Flávio Bolsonaro in the first round. His 51.79% victory reflected a closely divided electorate, while Bolsonaro said he would not recognize the result and would pursue a .
The voting extension became the central allegation in Flávio Bolsonaro’s challenge, although electoral officials said the additional two hours did not alter the result. The extension applied nationwide after requests from both campaigns, rather than only in areas targeted by one candidate. Any legal challenge must therefore establish that the decision caused a in the outcome.
Flávio Bolsonaro said he could not recognize the result and announced that his legal team would seek to . He focused his challenge on the decision to extend voting hours nationwide after complaints about transport and weather-related access. His refusal followed the pattern of Jair Bolsonaro’s movement contesting electoral outcomes after a defeat.
The announced Lula’s reelection with 51.79% of valid votes against Flávio Bolsonaro’s 48.21%. The result followed a two-hour pause in vote counting ordered by the Supreme Court, while Bolsonaro said he would challenge the result.
Lula defeated Flávio Bolsonaro with about 51.8% of against 48.2%, reversing the first-round result. The narrow margin made the runoff a major comeback for Lula and confirmed that Brazil’s electorate remained closely divided. The result gave Lula an unprecedented fourth elected presidential term.
Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ordered polling stations to remain open until 7 p.m., two hours beyond the scheduled closing time. Lula’s campaign cited public-transport problems, while Flávio’s campaign separately sought extensions because of rain, flooding, and blocked roads. The decision interrupted the early vote count and created the basis for later allegations by Bolsonaro’s side.
Flávio Bolsonaro won about 47% of the vote, while Lula received roughly 45%, leaving neither candidate with a majority. The result forced a and gave Jair an initial advantage in the contest. Flávio’s lead also showed the continuing strength of the movement built around the former president.