Voters in Brazil went to the polls Sunday for a presidential runoff between current right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro and former leftist president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The first round of the election in an 11-member field earlier this month was closer than had been expected with da Silva winning 48% of the ballots and Bolsonaro not far behind with 43%.
Speculation has risen that Bolsonaro might not accept the results of Sunday’s vote if he does not win. He claims the country’s electronic voting machines are faulty, a claim that has not been substantiated.
Bolsonaro tenure has seen him mock the coronavirus and the pandemic even after he contracted the disease. Vast portions of the Amazon rainforest have also been destroyed during his watch.
If da Silva wins, it would be an impressive victory for the country’s former leader, who was imprisoned in 2018 on bribery charges. He served 19 months before the Supreme Cout overturned the conviction last year.
He is widely seen as being responsible for lifting millions of Brazilians out of poverty during his presidency.
Polls opened at 8:00am local time (1100GMT) and close at 17:00 local time (2000GMT). The result of the voting should be known a few hours after the polls close.
