Brazil election 2026: Flávio Bolsonaro leads Lula in early presidential results

Early results from Brazil’s 2026 presidential election show Flávio Bolsonaro ahead of incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the initial stages of vote counting.

With approximately 1.6% of votes counted, preliminary results showed:

Flávio Bolsonaro — 49.2%
Lula da Silva — 42.2%

The figures remain highly preliminary and could change significantly as votes from across Brazil are counted.

A candidate needs more than 50% of valid votes to win the presidency in the first round. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the two leading candidates will advance to a runoff.

Vote counting remains underway, with results expected to change as more ballots are processed.