Brazil's Supreme Court extends voting in the Lula-Flávio Bolsonaro runoff by two hours

Brazil's Supreme Court, through Justice Cristiano Zanin, extended voting in Sunday's presidential runoff between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro by two hours, to 7 p.m. Brasília time (5 p.m. Central). The electoral authority paused the vote count, which had already begun publishing early results, until the extended window closes. No winner had been declared.

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Why it matters

Brazilians in polling places still running got two extra hours to vote, and the national count stopped until that window closes. Both campaigns had asked for longer voting, citing transportation cuts or bad weather.

What to watch

Polls close at 7 p.m. Brasília time (5 p.m. Central) on Sunday, October 25, after which the paused count can continue.

How each side sees it

Lula's campaign saysPublic transportation was cut in cities in Bahia state, and it asked for longer voting, alleging some officials reduced buses on election day.

Flávio Bolsonaro's side saysBad weather, including heavy rain and flooding, disrupted voting in parts of southern and southeastern states, and it asked for polls to stay open until 7 p.m. there.

Sources

Checked against 3 established news sources:

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Published Sunday, October 25, 2026. Spot an error? Email [email protected]. See our corrections log and standards.