Brazil Election First Round: Bolsonaro Forces Runoff Against Lula

Brazil's 2026 presidential election first round delivered a major surprise: Flávio Bolsonaro significantly outperformed pre-election polls and will face incumbent President Lula da Silva in a November runoff. Lula underperformed in key urban centres and analysts say he faces a difficult path to re-election. Bolsonaro's base turnout exceeded projections, making the second round highly competitive.