Lula Regains Lead in Brazil Runoff as Courts Halt Count
Justice Zanin’s late extension order triggered a two-hour pause in tallying, with Lula ahead by a narrow margin at the 50% mark.
By Katherine Brooks ·
The tally for Brazil's presidential runoff paused on Sunday evening.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reclaimed the lead over Senator Flávio Bolsonaro when the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) stopped counting ballots. At the time of the pause, approximately 50% of votes had been processed. Lula’s advantage emerged as results from northeastern states, a traditional base for his party, arrived in volume.
The disruption stemmed from a ruling by Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin. Zanin, who previously served as Lula’s legal counsel, granted the incumbent’s request to extend voting hours. The campaign cited public transportation failures in three cities within Bahia state. The decision landed near the standard 5 p.m. closing time in Brasília, creating confusion at polling stations that had already shut their doors.
Zanin issued a follow-up order clarifying the procedure. Stations that had closed were to remain shut so officials could begin tallying. Stations that stayed open could accept voters for an additional two hours. The TSE suspended the national count for that two-hour window to process the new ballots.
Pollsters indicated that higher-than-expected turnout benefited Lula. Andrei Roman, CEO of AtlasIntel, told Reuters that the data suggested Lula would be re-elected. Lula’s supporters began declaring victory on social media before the court formally announced the outcome.
The legal maneuvering has intensified scrutiny on the election process. Vera Chemim, a constitutional lawyer in São Paulo, noted that the extended hours and transportation claims could fuel legal challenges. She stated that the losing side might argue many voters were unable to cast ballots even with the extension. Senator Eduardo Bolsonaro, brother of Flávio Bolsonaro, questioned the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in a YouTube stream. He called the legal basis for the move hard to imagine and said it does not inspire credibility.
Lula’s campaign alleged that officials cut election-day transit service in at least nine states. A court in Bahia ordered the arrest of a senior transportation official in Salvador over allegations that he reduced the bus fleet. Lula described the situation as something abominable happening in the election. Flávio Bolsonaro also sought extensions in three states due to bad weather. President Donald Trump, who has not endorsed a candidate, told reporters in Washington that the US is watching the process.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
