BRASÍLIA — Polls opened across Brazil on Sunday as voters chose their next president in a run-off election pitting 80-year-old incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva against 45-year-old right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Flávio Bolsonaro won the most votes in the first round on Oct. 4. No candidate who trailed after the first round has overcome the deficit to win a second round, placing the onus on Lula to reverse the initial outcome.
Flávio Bolsonaro appeared at a polling station in Rio de Janeiro early Sunday, telling reporters that "time has come for real change." His campaign centers on a crackdown on organized crime and promises of tax and public spending cuts.
Bolsonaro held a final campaign rally in Belo Horizonte, capital of Minas Gerais, a state that has determined the national winner in presidential contests since the 1980s.
In a social media video released before the election, Bolsonaro told supporters, "There are only a few hours left before we shape the future of our nation for the next 30 or 40 years." He pledged to release his father from house arrest.
Jair Bolsonaro is serving a sentence of more than 20 years for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election. He is under house arrest due to ill health.
At rallies in Rio de Janeiro, Bolsonaro supporters emphasized his pledges to end violence, organized crime, narco-trafficking and reduce interest rates. One supporter said, "Brazil needs change, and Flávio is the person that represents that today."
Lula's supporters organized numerous rallies since the first round to boost turnout. Approximately 33 million people did not vote in the first round, presenting a significant pool of potential voters.
At a rally Saturday on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach, Lula told supporters the election was "a matter of sovereignty" and offered voters a choice between "the one who kissed the Brazilian flag and the one who kissed the American flag." Lula's administration has accused the U.S. of interfering in the election, an allegation Washington has denied.
Lula also told supporters, "They want to move forward. They don't want to go backward." A supporter named Roberta said, "This movement is to show we have strength. We've woken up, we're coming to the street to make a difference."
