STORY: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva cast his ballot on Sunday (October 25) in a runoff vote that could shift Latin America's largest nation sharply rightward, bringing it closer to the United States as part of a broader conservative shift across the region.

The runoff pits leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva against right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro. Flavio scored a major upset at the start of the month by defying pollsters to lead voting in the first round.

A victory for Bolsonaro, 45, would extend a wave of right-wing victories for Latin American candidates friendly to US President Donald Trump while a fourth mandate for Lula would be a disappointment in Washington, which has clashed with his government over trade and security.

Brazil's election race has been dominated by corruption scandals, economic anxiety and accusations of US meddling, which Washington denies. It has also been coloured by fallout from Jair Bolsonaro's 2025 conviction for plotting a 2022 coup, with Flavio pledging to free his father if elected.

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STORY: Brazilian presidential right-wing candidate and senator, Flavio Bolsonaro, told reporters “the time for real change has arrived” after casting his ballot in Brazil’s tight runoff vote on Sunday (October 25).

Brazilians voted in a runoff vote that could shift Latin America's largest nation sharply rightward, bringing it closer to the United States as part of a broader conservative shift across the region.

The runoff pits leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva against right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro. Flavio scored a major upset at the start of the month by defying pollsters to lead voting in the first round.

A victory for Bolsonaro, 45, would extend a wave of right-wing victories for Latin American candidates friendly to US President Donald Trump while a fourth mandate for Lula would be a disappointment in Washington, which has clashed with his government over trade and security.

Brazil's election race has been dominated by corruption scandals, economic anxiety and accusations of US meddling, which Washington denies. It has also been coloured by fallout from Jair Bolsonaro's 2025 conviction for plotting a 2022 coup, with Flavio pledging to free his father if elected.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: SAO PAULO, BRAZIL (OCTOBER 25, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. BRAZIL'S PRESIDENT LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, THE WORKERS' PARTY (PT) CANDIDATE FOR RE-ELECTION, ENTERING POLLING STATION, GREETING PEOPLE AND PRESENTING ID

2. LULA HOLDING UP BRAZILIAN FLAG

3. LULA, HIS WIFE, ROSANGELA "JANJA" DA SILVA, AND OTHERS POSING WHILE STANDING BEHIND BRAZILIAN FLAG

4. LULA KISSING JANJA

5. LULA SPEAKING TO POLL WORKER

6. LULA CASTING HIS VOTE

7. LULA POINTING TO STICKER '13' ON HIS SHIRT, POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS

8. LULA SHAKING HANDS WITH PERSON / PUTTING HIS ID IN HIS POCKET

9. LULA HOLDING UP BRAZILIAN FLAG / POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS

10. VARIOUS OF LULA LEAVING

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SHOWS: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (OCTOBER 25, 2026) (REUTERS - Access All)

1. BRAZILIAN PRESIDENTIAL RIGHT-WING CANDIDATE AND SENATOR, FLAVIO BOLSONARO, ARRIVING TO VOTE / GETTING OUT OF CAR AND ENTERING POLLING STATION

2. BOLSONARO IN POLLING STATION

3. ELECTRONIC BALLOT BOX

4. BOLSONARO ENTERING BOOTH TO VOTE

5. VARIOUS OF BOLSONARO POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS WITH HIS WIFE, FERNANDA ANTUNES

6. BOLSONARO LEAVING POLLING STATION AND ARRIVING TO SPEAK TO PRESS

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZILIAN PRESIDENTIAL RIGHT-WING CANDIDATE AND SENATOR, FLAVIO BOLSONARO, SAYING:

"I'm very happy. In the campaign for this second round, we brought joy to the streets, a light campaign, a clean campaign, happiness on the faces of those who were with us on the streets here in Rio de Janeiro with Douglas (governor-elect of Rio de Janeiro). And I think the time has come for real change. It was like that in the first round and let it be so in the second. Brazil can't take four more years the way things are, everyone's life has got worse. So there's no reason to keep insisting on the mistake. Hope has turned into fear. Fear of walking in the street at night, fear of having your mobile phone stolen, fear of having your motorbike stolen, fear of an empty fridge, fear of not being able to pay overdue bills. So I came with proposals showing that we have every condition to put together a great team to reorganise Brazil, to pull Brazil out of this debt, to pull you, the Brazilian who is also in debt, out of this suffocating situation you are living in, and to ask that, rain or shine, let's leave home to vote because Brazil is going to change and Brazil is going to win. Thank you."

8. BOLSONARO GETTING INTO CAR TO LEAVE

9. SUPPORTERS OF BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT LULA SHOUTING (Portuguese): "Open the records, open the records!" (REFERRING TO A CHALLENGE LULA MADE TO OPEN HIS ACCOUNTS FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE)

10. SUPPORTERS OF PRESIDENT LULA SHOUTING (Portuguese): "It's Ana Clara, it's Ana Clara" (REFERRING TO A GIRL KILLED BY A MILITARY POLICE OFFICER INSIDE A COMMUNITY / FLAVIO BOLSONARO IS THE DEFENCE LAWYER FOR THE POLICE OFFICER)

11. LULA SUPPORTERS

12. (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) LULA SUPPORTER, ADRIANA, NO SURNAME GIVEN, SAYING:

"I feel outraged because of having a militia candidate for the presidency, this country cannot accept that. It's '13 Lula'! (referring to electoral list number)"

13. (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BOLSONARO SUPPORTER, ADRIANA, NO SURNAME GIVEN, SAYING:

"May we win, may Flavio win, to get rid of that thief Lula in the middle of this crazy corruption we are living through."

14. MILITARY POLICE CAR, NEXT TO POLLING STATION, DRIVING AWAY