Lula Clinches Fourth Term as Brazil Extends Polls Amid Late-Night Chaos

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured a non-consecutive fourth term as president of Brazil on Sunday, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro with 51.8 percent of the total vote. With 100 percent of the vote counted, Brazil's electoral court confirmed a lead of nearly 4.4 million votes in Lula’s favor. The veteran leader turns 81 on Tuesday, joining U.S. President Donald Trump and Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega as the oldest sitting presidents in the Americas.

The election was marked by late-night confusion after Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ruled three minutes before the scheduled end of voting to keep polls open for two additional hours. The decision was made in response to requests from both candidates. Lula’s campaign cited bus transportation problems in São Paulo and Salvador, while Bolsonaro’s team pointed to heavy rains in the south. The ruling delayed the start of vote tallying by two hours and left uncertainty about how many polling stations remained open past the original deadline.

Flávio Bolsonaro stated he wants the election annulled due to the extension. He had previously led the first round earlier this month by more than 2.2 million votes. This is the first time since the end of Brazil’s military dictatorship in 1985 that the second-highest vote-getter from the first round won the presidency. The next presidential term begins on January 5, 2027.

Lula addressed supporters after the result was confirmed, describing the victory as a defeat for denialism and lies. He pledged to respect all Brazilians regardless of gender or religion and emphasized national sovereignty. He said, "Either the homeland remains free or we die for Brazil. This country will not accept being anyone's backyard." His victory maintains a degree of independence for the region’s largest economy, which has a gross domestic product of $2.6 trillion per year, from Washington despite increased tariffs imposed by Trump.

Celebrations erupted across major cities. In Rio de Janeiro, car horns blared and a woman in red shouted at men in yellow and green, Bolsonaro’s campaign colors. In São Paulo, hundreds gathered on a main artery while military police stood guard. Lula was filmed celebrating with his wife, Rosângela Lula da Silva, wearing star-shaped red glasses. Rodrigo Valentim, a 51-year-old businessman and Bolsonaro supporter in Rio, said he did not understand how people could vote for Lula, claiming the country is collapsing.

The campaign was defined by cost-of-living concerns and security issues. Bolsonaro focused on a tough-on-crime approach and pledged to lower food costs, while Lula offered costly incentives to undecided voters. Both candidates face corruption suspicions involving family members. Lula previously spent 580 days in prison on corruption convictions that were later annulled by the Supreme Court. He began his political career in the 1970s as a union leader before helping found the Workers' Party.

Lula reorganized his campaign after the first-round loss, appealing to young voters and raising fears of a return to Bolsonaro administration. The result leaves Mexico and Brazil, Latin America’s two most populous nations, with left-of-center leaders. This outcome runs counter to a regional trend where right-of-center candidates allied with Trump have been winning elections.