Polls have closed in Brazil's closely fought presidential election run-off, after the country's Supreme Court issued a last-minute extension to voting hours
Voting was due to end at 17:00 local time (20:00 GMT) – however, both campaigns asked for polls to remain open longer in some cities
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva claimed public transport had been disrupted in some cities, while his opponent Flávio Bolsonaro's campaign claimed bad weather affected voters in a number of locations
Voting was extended until 19:00 local time nationwide, but Supreme Court minister Cristiano Zanin said this only applied at polls where voting had not yet been finalised
The extension is a highly unusual step and could mean results are pushed back several hours, our correspondent in Brasília writes
It's the second round of voting after right-wing senator Bolsonaro won the first round earlier this month – beating incumbent President Lula, but falling short of an outright majority. Here's what you need to know
Read more about the two candidates in our profiles – Bolsonaro and Lula – and follow live coverage from BBC Brasil in Portuguese
Edited by Charlotte Hadfield, with reporting from Ione Wells in Brasília and the BBC's Brasil service
Ione Wells
Reporting from Brasília
Things here feel very tense.
We were supposed to have some results by now, but here at Brazil’s top electoral court a dramatic decision was taken to extend voting by two hours.
That was after concerns by both campaigns that public transport disruption and bad weather had affected voter turnout.
Their concerns are indicative of just how close they think this could be – and that they’re fighting for every vote. That is because in the last few days the polls have really narrowed – too close to call, the pollsters said.
But because of this eleventh hour decision some polling stations had already closed.
I suspect if the result is extremely close – this isn’t the last we will hear about that disruption and we could see attempted appeals.
Polls have closed for the second time in the Brazilian presidential election after the country's Supreme Court issued an extension of two hours across the country.
The vote had initially finished at 17:00 local time (20:00 GMT), but this was extended to 19:00 following a request made by President Lula's campaign in three cities in the state of Bahia – alleging voters had been affected by disruption to public transport.
Minister Cristiano Zanin later specified the extension only applied where voting has not yet been finalised, as some polling stations had already closed their machines at the original time of 17:00.
Flávio Bolsonaro's campaign had also requested for polls to stay open longer, saying bad weather as a result of heavy rains in several cities could have hindered voters.
We will bring you the latest updates as votes are counted here.
Speaking to journalists, Lula called for polls to stay open longer
In the last hour, polls in Brazil have been extended by two hours after a last-minute decision. But how did we get here?
We're hearing more now from the Supreme Court minister who granted a two-hour voting extension across the country.
In an additional note to his first statement, Minister Cristiano Zanin now says polls must remain open until 19:00 local time (22:00 GMT) only where voting has not yet been finalised.
As Brazil uses electronic voting machines, once they are closed, they cannot be re-opened. Some polling stations had already closed their machines at the original time of 17:00 (think of it as turning off a computer that cannot be turned back on), while others had remained open as people were still queuing at 17:00.
The minister now says that in polling stations where voting had already been finalised, the result will be counted as it was declared at 17:00. Meanwhile, at polling stations which hadn't yet closed all of their machines, voting can continue until the extended time of 19:00.
Several poll workers have told BBC Brasil that they had already been dismissed despite the polls being extended by two hours.
One worker says she saw a woman try to enter a school that had been used as a polling station after 17:00 local time, citing the minister's decision to extend the polls, but was prevented from voting.
The principal of a state school in Pirituba, a neighborhood in the western part of São Paulo, tells BBC Brasil his polling station had already closed and issued the ballot box reports when the local electoral office announced the extension.
He says there are no technical guidelines on how to reopen the ballot boxes, despite the Regional Electoral Court (TRE) ordering polling stations to remain open.
The principal of a school in the Limão neighbourhood of the city also said they had finished for the day, but the ballet boxes still remain at the polling station.
US President Donald Trump says he is watching the Brazilian elections after being asked by journalists who he was supporting.
Brazil's relationship with the US has been at the heart of this election. A win for Bolsonaro would add Brazil to the list of Western Hemisphere countries aligned with the Trump administration.
Flávio Bolsonaro has actively courted Trump and members of his administration by portraying himself as a loyal ally during a meeting at the White House in May.Ione Wells
Reporting from Brasília
This is a highly unusual step by Brazil’s top electoral court to extend voting by two hours.
President Lula was concerned about disruption to the public transport bus network in the major cities of São Paulo and Salvador.
It’s no surprise that would concern him: São Paulo state is a key swing state, and the city is the most populous in South America so accounts for a significant number of votes.
Salvador is also, traditionally, a city where he enjoys a strong voter base in Brazil’s northeast.
Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign also reportedly raised concerns about bad weather affecting areas in São Paulo and Santa Catarina, a southern city where he also enjoys a strong support base.
This decision could well mean that results are pushed back several hours, or even into the early hours of the morning.
As we have just reported, following a decision by the country's Supreme Court, voting has been extended in Brazil's presidential election until 19:00 local time (22:00 GMT).
The decision was made following a request made by President Lula's campaign in three cities in the state of Bahia. The campaign alleged voters had been affected by public transport disruption.
The request was granted by Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin and applies to polling stations across the country.
Zanin says the court became aware of the situation at 16:32 local time, and the order had been made given the seriousness of the allegations and the urgency of the situation.
The minister also instructed the Superior Electoral Court to take the necessary steps to comply with the order.
Brazil's Supreme Court has extended voting in the country's presidential election for another two hours.
The decision comes after both campaigns asked the court to extend the voting period.
As we've been reporting, Flávio Bolsonaro's campaign has also requested for polls to stay open longer.
The campaign says in a request sent to the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) that bad weather as a result of heavy rains in several cities could hinder voters, asking for the polls to be extended to 19:00 local time (22:00 GMT).
The cities include São Paulo, Jundiaí, Itapevi, Americana, Santa Bárbara d'Oeste, Itapetininga, Botucatu, Apiaí, Ribeira and Iporanga in the state of São Paulo; Curitiba and Guaratuba in Paraná; Tijucas, Videira, Trombudo Central, Joaçaba and Águas de Chapecó in Santa Catarina.
Polls have now closed in Brazil's presidential election run-off between left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing senator Flávio Bolsonaro.
However, both Lula and Bolsonaro have asked for polls to remain open for longer in some areas.
Lula claimed public transport in Salvador and São Paulo had been disrupted, while Bolsonaro's campaign called for extended hours in a large number of cities – claiming bad weather could hinder voters.
It's not clear whether either request will be allowed – we'll bring you updates here when we have it.
Julia Braun
BBC Brasil in London
Almost half of eligible voters aged 70 or older did not go to the polls in the first round of the 2026 Brazil presidential elections.
Abstention reached 49.1% in this age group, according to data from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) — the highest among all age groups.
In absolute numbers, this represents more than 8 million Brazilians who did not go to the polls — or almost four times the difference in votes between Flávio Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the first round, which was just over 2.2 million.
It's mandatory for Brazilians aged 18 to 69 to vote – but for those aged 16 and 17, and 70 and above, it is not.
In other words, in addition to winning their votes, campaigns had to work to convince older voters to go to the polls.
For political scientist Mayra Goulart, professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), this is possibly the most strategic group in the second round.
"It is in this age group that we observe the highest [proportional] level of abstention and, therefore, since we are talking about a narrow margin of votes, it can be decisive for one candidate or another," she says.
This Flourish post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.
This Flourish post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.
Polls for Brazil's presidential election are set to close in less than an hour, at 17:00 local time (20:00 GMT).
Brazil's electoral court president Justice Kassio Nunes Marques says it is looking reports that transport has been disrupted in some cities.
It comes after President Lula asked for polls to remain open longer due to the disruption. Lula's party has requested that polls in areas afffected by the disruption remain open until 19:00 local time (22:00 GMT).
Julia Braun
BBC Brasil in London
Brazilian citizens queue outside a polling station in Zurich for the vote on Sunday
Countries in Asia, Africa and Oceania have already finished voting in the second round of the presidential election this Sunday.
According to the first ballot box reports released by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), Flávio Bolsonaro defeated President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and Hong Kong, among other countries.
The Workers' Party candidate, on the other hand, came out ahead in countries like China, Australia, and New Zealand.
For context: Polls are still open until 17:00 local time (20:00 GMT), at which point vote counting will begin.
According to the TSE (Superior Electoral Court), almost one million Brazilians are eligible to vote abroad — or just over 0.5% of the total Brazilian electorate. This year, this total is distributed across 186 cities.
The rules for those voting outside the country are the same as those followed by voters residing in Brazil, that is, voting is mandatory for literate individuals aged 18 to 70.
You can read more on how other countries have been voting in today's election in the Portuguese live page from BBC Brasil.
Brazilian President Lula has asked for polls to remain open longer in Salvador and São Paulo after his party claimed public transport in both cities had been disrupted.
He did not say how long he wanted the scheduled closing time of 17:00 local time (20:00 GMT) to be extended by.
Speaking to reporters, Lula asks the Supreme Court to extend voting in those areas to ensure those who were affected by the disruption are able to vote.
"What we want is an election done honestly and with everyone having their right to vote," he says, while also asking voters to "not give up" on their vote: "Wait, and vote, because democracy must win."
Nearly two million people are eligible to vote in Salvador, the capital of the north-eastern state of Bahia, while more than nine million others are eligible to vote in the city of São Paulo.
Local officials in Salvador say there was temporary disruption due to some buses having stickers with the candidates' faces and numbers on them, which goes against electoral rules.
BBC correspondent Ione Wells unpacks the results of the first round of Brazil's presidential elections, which took place on 4 October:
This video can not be played
Vitor Tavares
BBC News Brasil, reporting from São Paulo
Sara now lives in the north-eastern Maranhão state
Sara Duarte, 30, was raised in a family that supported Lula and benefited from social programmes.
She says her views changed after moving from the city of São Luís to Balsas, a major soy-producing hub in the northeastern state of Maranhão.
"I started living among businesspeople who see different needs and opportunities," she tells BBC News Brasil.
Sara says she understands her family's "gratitude" at the Workers' Party's (PT) welfare policies that helped them.
But she now believes people achieve things thanks to their own "merit", and social policies mean people underachieve and avoid growing.
Brazil's first-round election results suggest Sara is part of a broader trend.
A Quaest study found that the more important agribusiness is to a municipality's economy, the greater the gains for Flávio Bolsonaro, as ideas linked to entrepreneurship, lighter regulation and lower taxes gain influence.
In São João do Triunfo, a southern tobacco-growing city where Lula suffered one of his steepest declines, historian Jefferson Machado also points to the growing influence of right-wing social media influencers, particularly among younger voters, as a factor reinforcing a new political and cultural identity.
Vanessa Buschschlüter
Latin America and Caribbean editor
Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of convicted former president Jair, beat President Lula da Silva in the first round of voting on 4 October by a narrow margin, but fell short of the 50% of valid votes needed to win outright, triggering the run-off.
Here's what you need to know:
Bolsonaro v Lula mark two?
While there were 12 candidates in the running in the first round, this election has always been about Lula and Bolsonaro.
The surnames on the ballots will be the same as those in the 2022 run-off, when Lula beat Flávio's father, Jair, by 1.8 percentage points.
Bitter campaign reflects deep divisions
Lula and his Workers' Party have cast this election as a "battle for democracy", arguing that Jair Bolsonaro's conviction for coup-plotting is evidence that Bolsonarismo constitutes a threat to Brazil's democratic institutions.
Flávio Bolsonaro has also been labelling Lula's Workers' Party (PT) as corrupt, reminding voters of the massive financial scandals which plagued the PT for years and which have turned many voters against it.
The acrimonious attacks during the election campaign appear to have turned many people off voting altogether.
Branca Lessa de Sá
Reporting from Brasília
Supporters of the candidates for today's Brazilian presidency election have been speaking to BBC News about the reasoning behind their votes.
“We voted for democracy, for the collective good. For equality," a woman in a couple with a Lula flag tells me.
“All of the social programmes that he represents, inclusion, diversity, democracy, the sovereignty of the country principally," the man adds.
Meanwhile, a man in a green t-shirt says there is a "lack of security" across the country.
He says: "We hope that Brazil renews itself and transforms itself, from this corruption."
Sofia Ferreira Santos
Reporting from London
Voters for both candidates gathered outside West London College in Hammersmith
I’ve just been to vote before coming in for my shift and even here in London, nearly 9,000kms (5,592 miles) away from the Brazilian capital, you can see how important this election is – and just how close the result is expected to be.
Outside the building where voting is taking place, supporters of Lula and Bolsonaro have split themselves up into groups with microphones, flags, drums and music, chanting in support of their candidate and, at points, against the candidate of the opposite group.
Supporters of Flávio Bolsonaro gathered on one side of the street…
In the first round of this election earlier this month, Brazilians living in the UK voted for Lula in huge numbers, with the incumbent taking 56.33% of the vote.
Despite this, there is also a big crowd here in support of Bolsonaro and hoping to see him become the next president of Brazil.
Around 918,867 Brazilians are eligible to vote abroad, with 37,564 of these based across the UK, according to electoral data.
…while Lula supporters gathered on the opposite side of the road
Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
About the Author
