By Jay Forte, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On the final day before elections in Brazil, Datafolha released their latest research of voter intention, showing that Jair Bolsonaro (PSL) had an increased share of 41 percent, while Fernando Haddad (PT) remained in second place with 25 percent.
General elections in Brazil are held today, October 7, 2018 for the President, Vice President and the National Congress as well as local government positions. If a fifty percent threshold is not met by any candidate, a second round election is held on October 28th.
After the two frontrunners for President, next comes Ciro Gomes (PDT) with thirteen percent and Geraldo Alckmin (PSDB), eight percent. Marina Silva (Rede) and João Amoêdo (Novo) appear with three percent each.
Henrique Meirelles (MDB), Cabo Daciolo (Patriot), Alvaro Dias (We can) register two percent each. Guilherme Boulos (PSOL) has one percent. Vera Lúcia (PSTU), João Goulart Filho (PPL) and Eymael (DC) did not score.
Bolsonaro, who has been called the ‘Tropical Trump’ is an ex-military officer and often pronounced inflaming and derogatory statements about women, non-whites and gays. Haddad has been named the front-man for the leftest Workers Party, which has been in power from 2003 to 2016, overseeing unprecedented levels of corruption and scandal.
The polarization is palpable. “I lived through the era of the dictatorship and not even then did I witness so much hate, so much division, so much aggression,” said Clara Strauss, 79, to the New York Times during a recent demonstration against Mr. Bolsonaro. “It’s not characteristic of Brazilians.”
Less than a month before Election Day, the Workers’ Party officially nominated Haddad, when it became clear there was no way former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva would be able to run (as he is serving twelve years in prison). Bolsonaro’s popularity grew after he was stabbed while being carried by supporters during a political rally in September.
In keeping with the strong polarization, disapproval rates are high, scorning the far right and left. The rejection rate of Jair Bolsonaro is 43 percent and Fernando Haddad is 36 percent.
Marina has 22 percent, Alckmin, sixteen percent; Cyro, fifteen percent; Meirelles, ten percent; Alvaro Dias, Cape Daciolo and Boulos, nine percent; Eymael and Amoêdo, eight percent; Vera Lúcia, seven percent; João Goulart Filho, six percent.
According to Ibope, in a possible second round of voting between Jair Bolsonaro and Fernando Haddad, the PSL candidate would have 45 percent of the vote and Haddad, 41 percent. Blanks and nulls make up twelve percent and undecided, three percent.
The survey of Ibope was held on October 5th and 6th and included 3,010 voters. The research was contracted by TV Globo and the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo.