Follow-Up: Brazil's Electoral Court Declares Lula Winner of Presidential Runoff With 51.76% at 99.86% of Sections Counted, Leading Flavio Bolsonaro by Over 4.36 Million Votes
BRASILIA, Brazil — Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) on Sunday declared President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva the winner of the presidential runoff, defeating right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro to secure a fourth non-consecutive term, according to Reuters. The declaration came hours after polling firm Datafolha had projected a Lula victory; this time the electoral court itself marked the election as mathematically decided on its official results page, the decisive step in the count.
A snapshot of the court's official tally at 9:24 p.m. Brasilia time showed 498,538 of Brazil's 499,248 polling sections processed, or 99.86%: Lula had 64,137,770 votes, 51.76% of valid votes, against 59,769,627 votes, or 48.24%, for Flavio Bolsonaro — a lead of 4,368,143 votes that the remaining sections could not overturn. The lead changed hands repeatedly during the evening: Lula led with 51.16% at 5% counted, Bolsonaro edged ahead with 50.01% at 13.65%, and Lula was back in front by just 50.01% at 47.62%, before his advantage widened steadily once more than half the sections were in.
Lula is the first candidate since direct presidential elections returned in 1989 to win a runoff after losing the first round: on October 4, Flavio Bolsonaro finished ahead with 47.03% to Lula's 45.16%, a gap of about 2.2 million votes. Lula turns 81 on October 27, and his fourth term is scheduled to begin on January 5, 2027, 24 years after he first took office in 2003.
Election day itself was turbulent: after problems with buses transporting voters in several states and heavy rain in some areas, Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin granted requests from both campaigns and extended voting by two hours. GSM will follow the court's final complete tally and responses from both camps.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：巴西利亚的巴西国民议会大楼（资料照片）。Cayambe 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons 发布。/ The National Congress buildings in Brasilia, Brazil (file photo). Photo by Cayambe, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- 2026-10-06Brazil Election Upset: Flavio Bolsonaro Wins First Round, Faces Lula in Oct. 25 Runoff
- 2026-10-13First Datafolha Runoff Poll: Bolsonaro Leads Lula 52 to 48 in Valid Votes
- 2026-10-17Brazil's Flavio Bolsonaro Pledges 200 Billion-Real Fiscal Adjustment Without Touching Social Spending Ahead of Oct. 25 Runoff
- 2026-10-18Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro Face Off in First Runoff Debate in Sao Paulo Tonight
- 2026-10-18Follow-Up: Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro Clash Over Crime, Probes and the Economy in First Runoff TV Debate
- 2026-10-19Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro Trade Corruption Charges in First Runoff Debate Ahead of October 25 Vote
- 2026-10-21Bolsonaro's Lead over Lula Narrows Ahead of Brazil Runoff: Flavio at 45%, Lula at 44% in First Quaest Poll After TV Debate
- 2026-10-25Follow-Up: Brazil Votes in Tight Presidential Runoff: Lula vs. Flávio Bolsonaro in a Race That Could Reshape the Region
- 2026-10-25Follow-Up: Brazil Runoff Voting Extended Two Hours: Supreme Court Justice Orders Polls Open Until 7 p.m., Vote Count Paused
- 2026-10-25Follow-Up: Brazil Runoff Count Resumes: Lula Leads Flávio Bolsonaro 51.16% to 48.84% With Over 5% Counted
- 2026-10-25Follow-Up: Brazil Runoff Count Nears Halfway: Lula Leads Flávio Bolsonaro 50.01% in Dead Heat as Lead Swings Twice
- 2026-10-25Follow-Up: Lula Widens Brazil Runoff Lead to 51.09% Over Flávio Bolsonaro With Over 75% of Sections Counted
- 2026-10-25Follow-Up: Datafolha Projects Lula Victory in Brazil Runoff as Electoral Court Count Reaches 99.79%, With Lula at 51.76%
- 2026-10-25Follow-Up: Brazil's Electoral Court Declares Lula Winner of Presidential Runoff With 51.76% at 99.86% of Sections Counted, Leading Flavio Bolsonaro by Over 4.36 Million VotesThis story
- 2026-10-25Lula Wins: From Shoeshine Boy to a Fourth Presidential Term — The Life and Political Career of Brazil's President
- 2026-10-25Follow-Up: Leaders Congratulate Lula on Brazil Runoff Win, Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum Says 'The Brazilian People Won'
- 2026-10-25Follow-Up: Flávio Bolsonaro Refuses to Concede Brazil Runoff, Says He Will Seek Annulment of the Vote
- 2026-10-26Brazil Runoff Final Result: Lula Wins Fourth Term With 51.79% as Bolsonaro's Son Rejects Outcome
- 2026-10-26Follow-up: Flavio Bolsonaro Refuses to Recognize Brazil Runoff Result, Says He Will Seek Annulment as Brazil ETF Plunges Nearly 15% in Asia Trade
- 2026-10-28Follow-Up: Trump Says He Approves of Brazil's Flávio Bolsonaro Coming to the U.S.; State Department Official Says Entry Visas Will Be Granted to Him and His Family
- 2026-10-28Follow-Up: Flavio Bolsonaro Arrives in Miami, Greeted by Brother Eduardo, as His Brazilian Passports Are Cancelled
