Lula wins fourth term by 4 million votes

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured 64.2 million votes to claim a fourth presidential term in Brazil. He defeated Flávio Bolsonaro by a margin of more than four million votes on Sunday. The final tally gave Lula 51.79 percent of the vote against 48.21 percent for the former president's son. This result reversed a two-point lead held by Bolsonaro in the first round on October 4. Pollsters had predicted a statistical tie and never forecast such a wide final gap for the incumbent.

Lula framed the campaign as a choice between democracy and the authoritarian legacy of the Bolsonaro family. Jair Bolsonaro, the patriarch, is serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup to stay in power after his 2022 defeat. In his victory speech, Lula thanked young voters for taking to the streets to defend democratic institutions. He also credited older citizens for turning out in high numbers to reduce the abstention seen in the first round. Lula stated that Brazil would not accept being a peripheral backwater but instead wanted a central role in global discussions, a stance he linked to resisting the influence of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Flávio Bolsonaro refused to accept the outcome immediately after the count was finalized. He announced that he would petition the courts to annul the election. The primary grievance centers on a judicial order that extended voting hours by two hours nationwide. This extension was issued by Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin, a former lawyer for Lula, one minute after the standard closing time. Zanin acted in response to a lawsuit filed by Lula's campaign, which argued that insufficient free bus services in right-wing-controlled cities disadvantaged poor voters who typically support the left.

The late order caused operational chaos, as many polling stations did not receive the directive in time and closed at the usual hour. Kassio Nunes Marques, president of the Superior Electoral Court, said the delay created technical, operational, and security difficulties. Flávio Bolsonaro called the incident unacceptable and a total violation of the equality rights of Brazilian citizens. He noted that the rules of the game had been changed again by Lula's allies on the Supreme Court. Despite these protests, Hugo Motta and Davi Alcolumbre, the leaders of the lower and upper houses of Congress respectively, recognized Lula's victory.

Celebrations erupted across the country, with the largest crowds gathering in São Paulo. Tens of thousands of supporters lined Avenida Paulista to greet the reelected president. The crowd chanted that dictatorship would never return, marking a larger turnout than the 2022 victory celebration. The 81-year-old Lula had to adapt his strategy for the final round, picking up a mobile phone for the first time to engage on social media. This effort, combined with a campaign warning of the dangers of a Bolsonaro return, drove the unexpected comeback. Lula now faces the task of governing with the most right-leaning Congress in Brazilian history.