Lula Leads in Brazil After Court Orders Extended Voting Hours

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held a lead over Flávio Bolsonaro with roughly half of the votes counted in Brazil’s presidential runoff on Sunday. The former president regained the advantage at 8:30 p.m. Brasília time after ballots from his northeastern base began to arrive. These states are typically poor and populous, areas where leftist candidates historically gain momentum later in the count.

The race took an unexpected turn around the 5 p.m. official closing time. Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin granted Lula’s campaign a request to extend voting hours in several states. The campaign cited public transportation problems in three cities in Bahia. The late ruling created confusion at polling stations, some of which had already closed their doors to voters.

Zanin issued a follow-up order clarifying the process. Stations that had shut at 5 p.m. would remain closed so officials could begin tallying their ballots. Stations still open could continue to receive voters for two additional hours. The electoral court, known as the TSE, paused the national count for two hours to manage the transition.

The disruption occurred against a backdrop of lingering tension from the 2022 election. Jair Bolsonaro, Flávio’s father, refused to concede that year and later received a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup. Two legal experts told Reuters that the extended hours and transportation issues could lead to legal challenges. Vera Chemim, a constitutional lawyer in São Paulo, noted that the losing side might argue many people were unable to vote even with the extra time.

Flávio’s brother, Senator Eduardo Bolsonaro, criticized the move during a YouTube live stream. He questioned why the Supreme Court intervened in a matter overseen by the electoral court. He described the decision as strange and said the move did not inspire credibility. He also mentioned that Flávio had sought an extension in at least three states due to bad weather.

Lula’s campaign alleged that officials cut election-day public transportation in at least nine states. A court in Bahia ordered the arrest of a senior transportation official in Salvador on Sunday. The official was accused of directing a reduction in the city's bus fleet. Before Zanin’s decision, Lula stated that something abominable was happening in the election. His allies on social media claimed victory before the federal electoral court made an official declaration.

President Donald Trump said he was watching the process but declined to endorse a candidate. He told reporters in Washington that he did not want to get into the specifics. Lula and his supporters view the runoff as a chance to halt the region's conservative shift. A US State Department campaign reportedly aimed to help return the Bolsonaro family to power.