Voting Underway Across Brazil in Tight Presidential and Congressional Race

Voting is underway in the first round of Brazil's elections, with citizens also electing governors and lawmakers amid tight polls.

According to Argentine newspaper Clarín, polling stations across Brazil are set to close at 5:00 p.m. local time, with citizens casting ballots not only for the presidency but also for governors, the entire Chamber of Deputies, and two-thirds of the Senate. The contest is described as one of the tightest in the country's history, alongside concerns over high voter abstention.

News outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe reported that a total of 13 presidential candidates are competing. According to a Datafolha poll, incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, seeking a fourth term, leads with 42 percent support against 38 percent for Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. If no candidate secures more than half of the vote, a runoff will take place on October 25.