In Brazil, Lula leads vote count with 51.77% — The Rio Times

In Brazil, Lula is leading the vote count after the processing of results from all polling stations was completed: he received 51.77% of valid votes against 48.23% for Flávio Bolsonaro. At the same time, the formal announcement of the winner is to be made by Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE), The Rio Times reports.

Decision to extend voting

Disputes arose after Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ruled to extend voting nationwide until 19:00 Brasília time. Both campaigns filed complaints, and the TSE suspended the publication of results for about two hours.

Representatives of right-wing forces, including lawmakers from Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party, called the decision interference and said it could have helped only one candidate. Lawmaker Marcel van Hattem called the ruling absurd and said he intended to seek the impeachment of judges whom he considers to have abused their powers.

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The position of Lula’s campaign and the electoral court

Lula’s coalition said it had requested an extension of voting due to reduced bus services in the states of Bahia and São Paulo, which could have prevented some voters from reaching polling stations. Lula himself said he would accept the result regardless of who wins.

TSE President Cássio Nunes Marques said that no polling station required paper ballots and that criticism of the court was permissible. According to the publication, electoral court judges privately considered Zanin’s decision an interference in the TSE’s powers, but did not allow for a “third round” to be held.

Brazil uses electronic voting machines: a voter does not receive paper confirmation of their vote, but after a polling station closes, the machine prints a results report, which is published for each polling station. Challenges to the results may be filed with electoral courts within the time limits established by law.