Brazil's Electoral Court Confirms Lula Victory, Bolsonaro Challenges Two-Hour Poll Extension

Brazil's electoral court confirmed Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as the winner of Sunday's presidential runoff, awarding the incumbent 51.8 per cent of the vote over opponent Flávio Bolsonaro with all ballots counted. The margin stands at nearly 4.4 million votes. The announcement followed a ruling by Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin issued three minutes before the scheduled closing time to extend voting by two hours, a decision Bolsonaro has said he wants the election "anulled" over.

The extension request from Lula's camp cited bus breakdowns affecting voter transport in São Paulo and Salvador. Bolsonaro's request cited heavy rain in southern Brazil, where he draws support. In Brasília, volunteers overseeing a school count debated whether to remain after the extension but most left 15 to 20 minutes after the scheduled closing. At a Rio de Janeiro polling station, voting machines had already been switched off minutes after the scheduled close and could not be restarted. Vote tallying was delayed two hours. Bolsonaro ally Nikolas Ferreira noted that Zanin, who issued the ruling, previously served as Lula's lawyer.

In the first round earlier this month, Bolsonaro led Lula by more than 2.2 million votes. Sunday's result marks the first time since the end of Brazil's military dictatorship in 1985 that the runner-up in the first round has won the presidency.

Lula addressed supporters after the result was confirmed: "This was a defeat for denialism and lies. I must confess that every time I attended a debate, I felt embarrassed." On sovereignty, he added, "Either the homeland remains free or we die for Brazil. This country will not accept being anyone's backyard." Lula turns 81 on Tuesday and would begin a fourth non-consecutive presidential term on Jan. 5, 2027.

Campaign issues centered on the cost of living and security. Bolsonaro built his campaign around a tough-on-crime approach and pledges to lower food costs. Lula, seeking undecided voters, funded incentive programs. Both candidates faced corruption suspicions involving family members and allies. Lula spent more than a year in prison on corruption convictions that were later annulled after the Supreme Court found evidence the convicting judge was biased.

Rodrigo Valentim, 51, a Bolsonaro supporter and businessman, said a new Lula government would damage the economy and pointed to market gains after the first round: "I don't understand how people can vote for Lula. The country is collapsing." In Rio de Janeiro, Lula supporters gathered as results were confirmed, while cars sounded horns and men in yellow and green, Bolsonaro's campaign colours, drank beers. Lula joins Donald Trump and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, all aged 80, as the oldest presidents in the Americas.