Lula Re-Elected Brazil President With 51.79% of Valid Votes

October 27, 2026 | By Semahegn Nigatu

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been re-elected president of Brazil after securing 64.26 million votes, or 51.79% of valid ballots, according to the country’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE).

His challenger, Flávio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party, received 59.83 million votes, accounting for 48.21% of valid votes, the court said.

The result was announced on Sunday, October 25, by TSE President Kassio Nunes Marques, who congratulated both candidates for participating in the second round of voting.

More than 158 million Brazilians were eligible to vote in the runoff, with 128.2 million casting ballots. The abstention rate was about 19.2%, down from 21.08% in the first round.

Nunes Marques said the election had demonstrated the importance of voter participation, describing citizens as the central participants in the democratic process. The court provided more than 95,000 polling locations nationwide to reduce travel distances and improve access to voting.

The vote count faced operational challenges after a preliminary Supreme Court decision extended voting until 7pm Brasília time at polling stations that remained open beyond the scheduled 5pm closing time.

Nunes Marques said the decision, made only hours before voting was due to end, required adjustments to election systems and counting procedures. By then, thousands of electronic voting machines had already been shut down and could not be reopened.

The court temporarily suspended the receipt of ballot-box reports, creating a backlog of files awaiting processing. Despite the disruption, the TSE said its technical teams managed to advance the count.

Of the 499,248 ballot boxes used in the second round, 1,551, or 0.31%, had to be replaced, according to the court.

The election also generated substantial litigation. The TSE received 2,265 cases related to the 2026 elections, including 827 formal complaints and 446 requests for the right of reply.

Nunes Marques said electoral cases required proper examination and technical analysis, adding that the need for speed should not come at the expense of due process.

National and international election observers were also given access to voting procedures, audit mechanisms and oversight information. The TSE president said their participation supported transparency and helped improve Brazil’s electoral practices.

Source: FSX Business News