Lula Sets Brazil Vote Record, 64.3 Million
Published Sunday, 25 October 2026, 11:58 p.m. ET · Source: Superior Electoral Court (TSE), Brazil’s election authority
An 80-year-old president just did something no Brazilian has done: he drew more votes than anyone in the country’s history. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the leftist leader of the Workers’ Party, won 64,256,232 votes in Sunday’s runoff, the second-round vote between the top two candidates.
Key Facts
- —Record Lula won 64,256,232 votes, the most ever cast for one Brazilian presidential candidate.
- —Beat His own 2022 record of 60,345,999 votes, by about 3.9 million.
- —Share Lula took 51.79% of valid votes, those cast for a candidate, against 48.21% for senator Flávio Bolsonaro.
- —Next The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) formally declares the winner; Flávio Bolsonaro says he will seek annulment.
Live tonight
Brazil’s runoff, live
The official TSE count for Flávio Bolsonaro and Lula, updated every minute (voting closed at 7 p.m. Brasília, 6 p.m. ET).
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Prediction markets · who wins the runoff
Implied chance of winning Brazil’s presidency on 25 October, from traders’ prices.
Polymarket
Flávio Bolsonaro – · Lula – (US$249 million traded)
Kalshi (regulated in the US by the CFTC)
Flávio Bolsonaro 0.4% · Lula 99.6%
As of 25 October, 11:40 pm ET (03:40 Lisbon), updated every 20 minutes. Prices are bets, not polls, and can move fast.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
The record sits on top of a close and bitter race. Our Brazil election results page has the state-by-state count, and our Brazil election 2026 guide explains how the vote works.
Brazil’s electoral court, the TSE, ran the count. Its files show Lula with 64,256,232 votes and Flávio Bolsonaro, a 45-year-old conservative senator and son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, with 59,826,041.
How Big Is the Record?
Lula’s old high-water mark was 60,345,999 votes, set in his 2022 runoff win over Jair Bolsonaro. This time he beat it by roughly 3.9 million.
Before 2022 the record was also Lula’s own, about 58.3 million votes in his 2006 runoff win. Jair Bolsonaro, the conservative former president, had won about 57.8 million in 2018.
The loser also set a mark. Flávio Bolsonaro’s 59.8 million votes top every total before 2022 and both of his father’s, and only Lula’s two wins are higher.
Why Do Records Keep Falling?
Brazil’s electorate is large and voting is compulsory for most adults, so turnout stays high. About 158.7 million people were eligible to vote this year.
A bigger roll means bigger totals, so a record count does not by itself signal a landslide. The margin this time was 4.4 million votes, or 3.6 points, close to the 2022 gap of about 2.1 million votes, or 1.8 points.
In Plain English
- Runoff: a second round held when no candidate wins over half the valid votes in round one.
- Valid votes: ballots cast for a candidate, not blank or spoiled ones; percentages use this base.
- TSE: the Superior Electoral Court, which runs Brazil’s elections and publishes official results.
What It Means for US Readers
A record vote gives Lula a strong claim to a fresh mandate as he starts a fourth term, which matters for a US investor weighing Brazilian bonds, the real currency and Brazilian companies listed in New York. It does not settle the budget fights or the rival’s court challenge.
Washington deals with the same president on tariffs and trade, so the result points to continuity in Brasília rather than a reset.
What Is Not Known
The electoral court has still to issue its formal declaration of the winner, and we have not seen Flávio Bolsonaro file a court case. We also do not yet have the court’s final turnout and abstention figures.
Our Brazil news desk will update as the court publishes its final bulletin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Lula win the most votes in Brazilian history?
Yes. His 64,256,232 votes in the 25 October 2026 runoff are the most any candidate has won in a Brazilian presidential election, topping his own 60,345,999 from 2022.
How many votes did Flávio Bolsonaro get?
Flávio Bolsonaro, the conservative senator who lost, won 59,826,041 votes (48.21%). That is more than his father Jair Bolsonaro ever won, but about 4.4 million fewer than Lula.
Sources: Superior Electoral Court (TSE) results files; TSE 2018 and 2022 results archive. Data as of 10:22 p.m. ET, Sunday 25 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief