Brazil votes in tight presidential runoff between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva entered the runoff needing to recover from a first-round defeat. According to Le Monde, Flávio Bolsonaro finished ahead in the October 4 vote, before a large mobilisation of Lula's supporters helped tighten the contest.

The choice pits the leftist incumbent against a right-wing senator whose family name is central to his appeal. The Guardian described Bolsonaro as the son of a convicted former president. ARD Tagesschau reported that his father's name remained his most important asset among supporters.

In their final televised debate on October 23, the candidates moderated their tone as they sought undecided voters, but still challenged each other and traded corruption accusations, according to El Colombiano.

By October 24, the polling picture pointed to a very close finish. ABC described the candidates as technically tied. An AtlasIntel/Bloomberg survey reported by InfoMoney put Bolsonaro at 50.8 percent of valid votes and Lula at 49.2 percent. These were polling estimates, not election results.

The closing campaign moved onto the streets that day. Tens of thousands of Lula supporters rallied on the eve of the vote, The Guardian reported, while Al Jazeera reported that both candidates drew thousands to their final rallies.

On October 25, voting began across Brazil, according to Reuters. Deutsche Welle subsequently reported that both candidates had cast their ballots.

The latest supplied coverage shows voting under way, not a declared winner. ARD Tagesschau described a deeply divided country, with undecided voters potentially decisive in a contest that polls put close to level.

Lula is attempting a reversal with little precedent. The BBC reported that no candidate who trailed after Brazil's first round had previously overturned that deficit to win the second round.

The next concrete milestone is the count after polling stations close at 5 p.m. in Brasilia. Voting is electronic, and results are usually available within hours, according to Global News. The supplied coverage does not yet establish the outcome.

Turnout is another important measure. Euronews reported that around 20 percent of the electorate abstained in the first round. Whether the closing rallies brought those voters to the polls remains an open question.