Brazil is heading for a presidential run-off after right-wing candidate Flávio Bolsonaro finished ahead of incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the first round of the election, but failed to secure the majority required for an outright victory.
With 98.81 per cent of the votes counted, Bolsonaro had 47.24 per cent, while Lula polled 44.91 per cent.
The two candidates will now face each other in a second-round vote scheduled for October 25.
Flávio Bolsonaro is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence over his role in an alleged plot to overturn the result of the previous presidential election.
The first-round result came as a surprise, with Lula having maintained a narrow lead in opinion polls during the campaign.
Bolsonaro’s strong performance has also strengthened his Liberal Party, which recorded significant gains in the elections for governors, senators and federal deputies.
The result is expected to give the Liberal Party considerable influence in Congress and could shape the political landscape ahead of the run-off.
The election is being closely watched across Latin America, where several countries have elected right-wing leaders in recent years, many of whom have aligned themselves with US President Donald Trump.
Brazil’s run-off will therefore determine whether Latin America’s largest country and economy follows that broader political trend or retains the current left-wing administration.
After casting his ballot, 80-year-old Lula described the choice facing voters as one between democracy and what he called “barbarism.”
Bolsonaro, 45, said his goal was to “free the Brazilian people.”
