Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro will compete for the Brazilian presidency in the second round on October 25

The Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro will compete for the Presidency in a second electoral round on October 25, according to the official results of the elections held this Sunday, with 98.36% of the census counted.

The first-born son of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, with 47.31% of the votes, and the progressive leader, with 44.83%, were the two most voted in a first round without options for the other ten candidates for the head of State, according to data from the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE).

Flávio Bolsonaro, 45, was ahead of Lula from the beginning of the count, which worsened his results compared to the first round of 2022, when he reached 48.4% and 57.2 million votes.

This Sunday, Jair Bolsonaro's eldest son added more than 55.5 million ballots with his name, about three million more than Lula and around two million more than his father in the first round of 2022.

He even came close to victory in the first round, but lost steam as the votes from the northeastern region of the country, the political bastion of the Brazilian left, came in.

Before the vote was known, sources from Lula's campaign had commented that the former mechanical turner needed at least four points ahead to go with some peace of mind to the second round, which has not been achieved.

Behind were the psychiatrist and writer Augusto Cury (2.90%), the ultra agitator Renan Santos (2.26%), the conservative former governor of Goiás Ronaldo Caiado (2.20%) and the liberal former governor of Minas Gerais Romeu Zema (0.28%).

Polls had already shown in recent weeks an upward trend for Flávio, standard bearer of the Liberal Party (PL) by appointment of his father, who is under house arrest after being convicted of coup plotting.

However, neither Quaest nor Datafolha, the two most relevant demographic companies in the country, projected a clear victory for the senator.

For the second round, the polls published before this Sunday projected a very close fight, with Lula and Flávio in a technical tie.

Lula is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term at 80 years of age.

The historic leader of the Workers' Party (PT) has based his campaign on the legacy of his current administration, with economic growth of more than 2%, unemployment at a minimum and a significant increase in the wage bill.

In the last days of the campaign he announced significant measures, such as a 15% increase in the value of the Government's main social assistance program and the ban on sports betting and online casinos.

However, there is still a feeling that the cost of living remains high, amid record levels of household debt.

Flávio was handpicked as a candidate by his father, who is in house arrest after being sentenced to 27 years in prison for leading a coup plot after losing the 2022 elections to Lula, according to the Supreme Court.

The PL candidate has promised a tough line against organized crime and a “snip” in public spending and taxes.

The Brazilian campaign has developed amid corruption scandals that have affected several Supreme Court judges, as well as Flávio Bolsonaro himself and Lula's immediate entourage, and attempts at interference by the United States, as denounced by the PT.