Brazil Heads to Oct. 25 Runoff Between Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro With Amazon at Center
Brazil will choose its president in a runoff vote on October 25 between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, with the Amazon rainforest emerging as a central battleground in the campaign.
No candidate won the more than half of valid votes needed to win outright in the October first round. Flavio Bolsonaro received 47% of the vote and Lula received 45%, according to the Associated Press. Bolsonaro's first-round result beat polling expectations, according to Al Jazeera.
The two candidates have now met in Brazil's first presidential runoff debate, Al Jazeera reported. The debate opened the last stretch of campaigning before voters return to the polls.
The Amazon has been a crucial battleground in the runoff, according to The New York Times. Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon has fallen to its lowest level on record, Reuters reported. The vast forest, which covers much of northwestern Brazil and extends into neighboring countries, regulates rainfall, stores carbon and is home to rich biodiversity and Indigenous communities.
Bolsonaro is the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro and serves in Brazil's Senate. Lula is the sitting president and is seeking to retain the office.
Under Brazilian rules, the second round is treated as a new election. First-round votes are not carried over, Brazil's Superior Electoral Court states, so the candidate with the most votes on October 25 wins. A voter who did not vote in the first round may still vote in the second, according to the court. Voters who turn 18 between the first and second rounds must have completed electoral registration to be eligible, the court says.
