About this election
Brazil holds its general election on 4 October 2026, with a presidential run-off, if required, on 25 October. On a single first-round day, voters across Latin America's largest democracy — an electorate of more than 150 million — choose the President and Vice-President, all 513 members of the Chamber of Deputies, two-thirds of the 81-seat Federal Senate (54 seats), and the governors and legislative assemblies of all 26 states and the Federal District. The election is shaping up as another chapter in the intense polarisation between the left, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the Bolsonarista right, now that former president Jair Bolsonaro is barred from running.
The President is elected by a two-round majority system: a candidate who wins more than half of the valid first-round votes is elected outright, otherwise the top two contest a run-off three weeks later. The Chamber of Deputies is elected by open-list proportional representation within each state, which produces a highly fragmented legislature of more than twenty parties and makes governing coalitions essential. The Senate is elected by simple majority, with states electing one or two senators depending on the cycle; in 2026 each state and the Federal District elect two senators. Voting is compulsory for literate citizens aged 18 to 70, and Brazil uses an all-electronic voting system that delivers results within hours of the polls closing.
Brazilian politics is dominated by the rivalry between Lula's Workers' Party (PT) and the right gathered around Bolsonaro's Liberal Party (PL). Bolsonaro was ruled ineligible to hold office until 2030 by the electoral court and has faced further legal jeopardy, so the right is searching for a standard-bearer — names in contention have included his son Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, São Paulo governor Tarcísio de Freitas, and Goiás governor Ronaldo Caiado (PSD). Around these poles sit a crowded field of "Centrão" (Big Centre) parties — including the MDB, PSD, União Brasil and Progressistas — that are ideologically flexible and pivotal to any governing majority in Congress.
The 2022 presidential election was the closest in Brazil's democratic history. Lula narrowly led the first round and then defeated the incumbent Bolsonaro in the run-off.
| 2022 presidential | 1st round | Run-off |
| Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) | 48.43% | 50.90% |
| Jair Bolsonaro (PL) | 43.20% | 49.10% |
Lula won the run-off with 60,345,999 votes (50.90%) to Bolsonaro's 58,206,354 (49.10%), a margin of about two million votes. In the first round, Simone Tebet (MDB) finished third with about 4% and Ciro Gomes (PDT) fourth with about 3%. Bolsonaro's PL nonetheless became the largest single party in both houses of Congress, leaving Lula to govern with a broad and fractious coalition.
The defining questions are whether Lula, who would be in his late seventies, seeks and secures a fourth presidential term; who emerges to carry the Bolsonarista banner and whether the movement holds together without its founder on the ballot; and how the contest for Congress and the powerful state governorships unfolds. The economy, public security, environmental policy and the Amazon, and the long aftermath of the 8 January 2023 storming of government buildings in Brasília all loom over the campaign.
Brazil's electoral geography is sharply divided. Lula and the PT draw their strongest support from the poorer, populous Northeast, while Bolsonaro and the right dominate the wealthier South, the agribusiness Centre-West and much of the Southeast interior. The big states — São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Bahia — and their governorships are decisive battlegrounds. ElectioMap will map the presidential result across all 27 federal units as the count proceeds.
This page will carry the live presidential vote share, a state-by-state map, and the balance in Congress and the governorships as results are reported. Because Brazil counts electronically, near-complete figures usually arrive within hours; data is sourced from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), which administers and certifies the election.
The first round is on 4 October 2026, with a presidential run-off, if required, on 25 October. Voters elect the President, all 513 federal deputies, two-thirds of the Senate (54 of 81 seats), and state governors and assemblies.
By a two-round majority system: a candidate winning more than half of valid first-round votes is elected outright, otherwise the top two contest a run-off. Voting is electronic and largely compulsory, so results arrive within hours.
No. Jair Bolsonaro was ruled ineligible to hold office until 2030 by the electoral court, so the Bolsonarista right is seeking a new candidate — figures mentioned include Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, governor Tarcísio de Freitas, and Ronaldo Caiado (PSD). President Lula (PT) is the central figure on the left.
Lula defeated the incumbent Bolsonaro in the closest race in Brazil's democratic history, winning the run-off 50.90% to 49.10%. Bolsonaro's PL nonetheless became the largest party in Congress.
Brazil's all-electronic system usually delivers near-complete results within a few hours of polls closing. Live presidential figures and a state map will appear on this page as counting proceeds, sourced from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).
Compiled and reviewed by Bartłomiej Paruzel, Election Data Analyst, from official results. See our data methodology.