Lula wins 51.8 percent to claim fourth term amid chaos
Flávio Bolsonaro rejected the result after a Supreme Court justice extended voting hours by two minutes.
By Riya Zhao ·
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured 51.8 percent of the vote in Sunday's runoff.
The electoral court confirmed that Lula finished nearly 4.4 million votes ahead of his rival, Flávio Bolsonaro.
Lula will turn 81 on Tuesday. He is set to begin his fourth non-consecutive term on January 5, 2027.
Flávio Bolsonaro refused to concede defeat immediately after the count was finalized. He called for the results to be annulled.
His objection followed disorder at polling places caused by a late extension of voting hours.
Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ordered two extra hours of voting three minutes before the scheduled close.
Zanin ruled at the request of both campaigns. Lula's team cited bus delays in São Paulo and Salvador. Bolsonaro's team pointed to heavy rain in the south.
It remained unclear how many stations stayed open late. Reporters in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro saw polls close near the original 5 p.m. deadline.
Bolsonaro accused Zanin of changing rules mid-game. Zanin previously served as Lula's lawyer.
Bolsonaro stated it was impossible to recognize the results. It is not clear if his complaint meets the legal threshold for annulment.
Lula addressed supporters in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro's Cinelândia Square.
He said the victory was a defeat for denialism and lies. He added that Brazil would not accept being anyone's backyard. Car horns sounded in Rio as the result was confirmed. Rodrigo Valentim, a 51-year-old businessman backing Bolsonaro, said the country is collapsing under another Lula government. The win keeps Brazil, with a GDP of $2.6 trillion, outside the regional trend of Trump-aligned right-of-centre leaders. Lula had trailed by 2.2 million votes in the first round earlier this month. He reversed that deficit by courting young voters and expanding government initiatives. Bolsonaro campaigned on crime and food prices. Both men face corruption suspicions involving relatives. Lula, Trump, and Daniel Ortega are the oldest presidents in the Americas at age 80.
