Brazil’s Vote Showed a Tied Finish Between Lula and Bolsonaro

A new poll from Datafolha says that if the final election were held right now, Brazil’s president candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro would finish almost level. The survey reports 46% of people would back Lula, while 43% would choose Flavio. A similar split appears if the other candidate is Tarcisio de Freitas, governor of São Paulo. In that case, 45% would support Lula and 42% would go for de Freitas. The numbers point to a technical tie in either matchup. The country’s election is scheduled for October 4. If no one wins a clear majority, the top two will compete in a runoff on October 25. Lula, who is 80 years old and hopes to win his fourth term, leads in most scenarios. Flavio’s campaign has gained momentum after his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, nominated him in December. Jair is currently imprisoned.Both Lula and Flavio also face high levels of rejection in the poll. About 46% of respondents said they would not vote for Lula under any circumstances, while 45% said the same about Flavio. These figures match the overall tie in support. Datafolha surveyed 2, 004 voters between Tuesday and Thursday across 137 municipalities. The margin of error is two percentage points in either direction, so the results are fairly close. The poll highlights how competitive the upcoming election will be and shows that voters are still divided. The final outcome will depend on turnout and how undecided people decide to vote in the coming weeks.