Brazil’s October 4 presidential election: What voters are deciding and when a runoff would happen

Brazilians are voting on Sunday, October 4, 2026, in a presidential election led by incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. Voters are weighing competing approaches to household costs, social programs, crime and the environment, while other countries are watching what the result could mean for trade and diplomacy. There are 12 presidential candidates on the ballot. If none wins a majority of valid votes today, the two with the most votes will meet again on October 25.

Who are the main contenders?

Lula, of the Workers’ Party, is seeking a fourth, nonconsecutive term as president. He is campaigning on continued social assistance, including the Bolsa Família program, and on protecting the Amazon. His bid also asks voters to judge his current administration at a time when the cost of living and public security are prominent concerns.

Bolsonaro, of the Liberal Party, is a senator and the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, whom Lula defeated in 2022. He is offering a conservative alternative, with a tougher approach to organized crime and a closer relationship with the United States. His campaign has also argued for easing some environmental restrictions. Although other candidates are running, the contest has centered on Lula and Bolsonaro.

The distinction matters for voters who agree on the problems but not the solutions. Both campaigns must address public safety and economic pressures; they differ over the role of federal social programs, how to police criminal groups and how much room businesses should have to operate under environmental rules. A vote for president is therefore a choice of governing direction, not simply a rematch between familiar political camps.

What else is at stake on the ballot?

October 4 is a general election, not just a presidential vote. Brazilians are also choosing governors, members of state legislatures, all 513 members of the lower house of Congress and 54 of the Senate’s 81 members. Those races will help determine the political support available to the next president. Even a clear presidential win would not, by itself, settle how easily the winner could advance legislation or spending plans.

Nearly 159 million people are eligible to vote. Voting is compulsory for most literate citizens aged 18 to 70, while it is optional for 16- and 17-year-olds, people over 70 and people who cannot read or write. The breadth of the electorate makes the result a national judgment on issues that may feel different from one region to another, from urban crime and prices to livelihoods tied to farming and the rainforest.

International observers are following two policy choices in particular. Brazil’s stewardship of the Amazon has implications for efforts to limit climate change, and the candidates have presented different approaches to environmental protection and economic activity there. The election could also change the tone of Brazil’s relationship with Washington. Lula has emphasized Brazilian sovereignty in responding to recent U.S. measures, while Flávio Bolsonaro has argued for closer ties and better deals with the Trump administration. Neither outcome should be assumed before votes are counted.

How would a second round work?

To win the presidency in today’s first round, a candidate must receive more than half of the valid votes. Blank and null ballots do not count toward that total. A candidate could therefore finish first without being elected if their share falls short of the required majority.

In that case, only the two leading candidates advance to a new vote on Sunday, October 25. First-round votes do not carry over: voters choose again between the finalists, and the candidate with more valid votes in the second round wins. The same date is available for gubernatorial runoffs where needed; elections for legislative seats are decided under different rules.

After voting closes, the immediate questions will be whether anyone has cleared the presidential threshold and, if not, which two candidates have qualified. Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court is responsible for declaring the national presidential result. Until the count establishes those answers, an October 25 contest remains a possibility rather than a settled outcome.