Voters in Brazil head to polls as Lula goes up against Bolsonaro's son

Key points

• Polls have opened in Brazil's presidential run-off between Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro.
• Bolsonaro led the first round on 4 October and is seeking to maintain his advantage.
• Lula is aiming for a fourth non-consecutive term and has held large rallies to boost turnout.

Polls have opened in Brazil for a closely fought presidential run-off election. Voters are choosing between the 80-year-old incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term, and 45-year-old right-wing senator Flávio Bolsonaro.

Flávio Bolsonaro is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election. The younger Bolsonaro finished first in the first round on 4 October, a result US President Donald Trump called a "very big" victory.

Final campaign messages

Speaking at a polling station in Rio de Janeiro early on Sunday, Bolsonaro said "time has come for real change". He campaigned on the eve of the vote in Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, and pledged a tough crackdown on organised crime, tax and public spending cuts, and the release of his father, who is under house arrest due to ill health.

Lula told a large crowd on Copacabana beach on Saturday that the election was a matter of "sovereignty". His supporters have held huge rallies to boost turnout after 33 million people did not vote earlier this month. Lula's administration has accused the US of interfering in the election, an allegation Washington called "baseless".

time has come for real change

— Flávio Bolsonaro

Contrasting visions for Brazil

Lula and his Workers' Party have framed the election as a "battle for democracy", citing Jair Bolsonaro's conviction for coup-plotting as evidence that "Bolsonarismo" threatens Brazil's institutions. Lula has said Brazil "does not fit into anyone's backyard", an apparent reference to Trump's "Donroe Doctrine".

Bolsonaro argues that working with Washington against criminal gangs will restore state sovereignty to gang-controlled areas. He has also labelled the Workers' Party as corrupt, reminding voters of financial scandals that have turned many against it. Lula will watch results in São Paulo on Sunday evening, while Bolsonaro is set to be in Brasília, where his father is under house arrest.