Brazil extends voting by two hours in presidential runoff
Brazilian Supreme Court justice Cristiano Zanin extended voting in the presidential runoff by two hours at the request of Lula's campaign. Counting has begun, and early results show a razor-thin gap between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro.
Brazil is holding the second round of its presidential election on Sunday, 25 October. Leftwing president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is seeking a fourth term and faces rightwing senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro. Supreme Court justice Cristiano Zanin ordered voting extended by two hours, until 7pm Brasília time. The ruling means the vote and the acceptance of its outcome are already surrounded by dispute.
Why voting was extended
Lula's campaign asked for the extension, alleging that authorities in several cities were restricting voters' access to public transport. According to the source, suspected voter suppression has been alleged in at least 10 states, and some believe the transport limits were deliberate. Lula told reporters he had never before complained about elections, but said that this time "something abominable" was happening. A local electoral court ordered the full bus fleet restored and ordered the arrest of municipal transport secretary Pablo Souza. The warrant could not be carried out because he is in Paris on what the city government called an "official mission".
Flávio Bolsonaro later also asked for a two-hour extension in cities in São Paulo, Paraná and Santa Catarina states, citing heavy rain that he said kept voters away.
Confusion and reaction
Some polling stations had already closed when the decision was announced. Because Brazil uses electronic voting machines, they cannot be reopened once closed. This caused confusion and concern about the integrity of the results. Congressman Nikolas Ferreira of Bolsonaro's party indicated the far right could use the extension to challenge the result if Lula wins. Bolsonaro's campaign chief, senator Rogério Marinho, called the ruling an "intervention".
The count
Counting began after polls closed. With 5% of votes counted, Lula led with 51% to Bolsonaro's 48.87%. Later, with just over 13.5% of ballots counted, Bolsonaro was slightly ahead with 50.01% to Lula's 49.99%. Supporters of both candidates have gathered to follow the results.
