The vote takes place in what is arguably Brazil’s most critical election since the end of the military dictatorship in 1985.
And that’s the only thing people talk about here.
Many feel the nationthe future of and its democracy are at stake – regardless of their political leanings.
The two favorites for the presidency are Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, affectionately nicknamed Lula, and the incumbent Jair Bolsonaro.
Voters head to the polls across the country from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time (12 p.m. to 9 p.m. UK time).
A candidate must secure more than 50% of the vote today to avoid a runoff on October 30 – and secure the presidency.
The latest poll gives Lula a 14-point lead over Bolsonaro, which could hand him a first-round victory. Almost new here.
If Lula, 76, wins, it would be a remarkable comeback for the former president, who was jailed in 2018 on corruption charges – charges that were later overturned.
Some believe the accusations were politically motivated – he was the frontrunner against Bolsonaro during the 2018 presidential campaign.
“Four years ago I couldn’t vote because I had been the victim of a lie in this country. I was arrested by the federal police exactly on election day,” he said today. today while voting in Sao Paulo.
“And four years later, here I am, voting with the recognition of my complete freedom and with the possibility of being president of the republic, of this country again, to try to bring it back to normality.”
Latest poll gives Lula 14-point lead over Bolsonaro
Lula, a former factory worker and union leader, resigned in 2010 after serving two terms, with approval ratings approaching 90% at the time.
President Bolsonaro, for his part, voted in Rio de Janeiro, saying his “expectation is of a victory today”.
He constantly questioned the veracity of Brazil’s electoral system and sowed doubt among his supporters of a free and fair election.
“If it’s a clean election, no problem, may the best win,” he said before voting.
Bolsonaro, 67, has been a divisive figure in Brazilian politics since bursting onto the scene more than four years ago.
His popularity has plummeted in recent years due to his government’s mishandling of the COVID-19 crisis.
Campaign posters show Bolsonaro and Lula
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Brazil’s rainforest under attack
He resolutely denied the dangers of COVIDfought against lockdowns and masks, and promoted drugs like hydroxychloroquine made famous by Donald Trump.
He has also had to face widespread national and international condemnation of his attitude and policies towards the the Amazon forest.
Many see this election as the one that will determine the future of the forest.
Under President Bolsonaro, farmers and miners have been given carte blanche to fell trees at record rates.
During Lula’s presidency (2002-2010), deforestation fell by 65% in Brazil, according to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research.
Much is at stake – not least because no one knows how President Bolsonaro might suffer defeat, if the polls are accurate and Lula scores a victory today or later this month.
