With the presidential runoff election this Sunday in Brazil approaching, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) drew large crowds this Saturday, the last day of campaigning before election day.
The PL candidate wrapped up his schedule in front of the former condominium of his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, in Barra da Tijuca, in the south zone of Rio de Janeiro, while the PT standard-bearer returned to Paulista Avenue in São Paulo to close out the electoral contest.
Both contenders from the Planalto Palace held earlier events during the day. In Flávio Bolsonaro's case, he began the final day of campaigning with a motorcycle caravan in Belo Horizonte. The candidate set off from Praça do Papa toward Praça da Liberdade, accompanied by Congressman Nikolas Ferreira (PL), the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos), and the governor-elect of Minas Gerais, Cleitinho Azevedo (Republicanos). He left the place without delivering a speech or speaking to journalists, UOL reported.
Lula, for his part, began the day with a campaign event on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Before the rally, he called Flávio a "militiaman" and stated that his adversary was the lowest-quality candidate he had ever faced. The President also expressed his confidence in victory and thanked the voters for their mobilization.
During his speech, …
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Ahead of this Sunday's presidential runoff in Brazil, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) drew crowds this Saturday, the last day of campaigning before election day. The PL candidate wrapped up his schedule in front of his father's former condominium, former President Jair Bolsonaro, in Barra da Tijuca, in the south zone of Rio de Janeiro, while the PT standard-bearer returned to Paulista Avenue in São Paulo to close out the electoral contest. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, presidential candidate, takes part in a campaign event in Barra da Tijuca, in the southwest zone of Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Tomaz Silva/Agência Brasil Tomaz Silva/Agência Brasil Both contenders for the Planalto Palace held earlier events during the day. In Flávio Bolsonaro's case, he began the final day of campaigning with a motorcycle caravan in Belo Horizonte. The candidate set out from Praça do Papa toward Praça da Liberdade, accompanied by Congressman Nikolas Ferreira (PL), the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos), and the governor-elect of Minas Gerais, Cleitinho Azevedo (Republicanos). He left the place without delivering a speech or speaking to journalists, UOL reported. Lula, for his part, began the day with a campaign event on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Before the rally, he called Flávio a "militia member" and said his opponent was the lowest-level candidate he had ever faced. The president also expressed confidence in victory and thanked voters for their mobilization. During his speech, Lula tied the election to the defense of national sovereignty. The PT candidate said Brazilians would have to choose between whoever kisses the Brazilian flag and whoever kisses the U.S. flag, in an allusion to his opponent. He also declared that the country cannot be "anyone's backyard." In São Paulo, the crowd made it difficult for Lula's motorcade to move along Paulista Avenue. The president arrived in an open vehicle, accompanied by First Lady Janja and former ministers Fernando Haddad, Marina Silva, and Simone Tebet. Faced with the gathering of supporters, Lula and his entourage climbed onto a truck with sound equipment. The PT politician said the rally was the largest in the avenue's history, though he presented no figures to back up the claim. An electrifying runoff The tightest presidential campaign since Brazil's redemocratization in 1985 comes to an end this Sunday with an electrifying runoff: Flávio Bolsonaro holds 51% of valid votes and President Lula 49%, according to Datafolha. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, candidate for reelection, takes part in a campaign event on Copacabana beach, in the south zone of Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Tomaz Silva/Agência Brasil Tomaz Silva/Agência Brasil The poll, conducted on Friday and this Saturday, surveyed 4,050 voters in 124 municipalities and has a margin of error of two percentage points, up or down, the newspaper Folha de São Paulo detailed. On Thursday, in the previous Datafolha round, there was a tie, with both candidates at 50% of valid votes in rounded figures. At the start of the runoff campaign, the gap between Flávio and Lula was four points in valid votes. ELEIÇÕES 2026 Datafolha poll released this Saturday (24), the eve of the presidential runoff, shows Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) with 51% of votes and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) with 49%, considering only valid votes. The difference of two percentage points… pic.twitter.com/k31CJMa76n— InfoMoney (@infomoney) October 24, 2026 For its part, the Quaest poll published this Saturday shows a similar scenario. On the eve of the runoff election, Flávio Bolsonaro stands at 51% of valid votes and President Lula at 49%. It is a technical tie within the margin of error. Quaest surveyed 3,702 voters in person, in all regions of the country, between October 23 and 24. The margin of error is two percentage points, up or down, and the confidence level is 95%. In the same pollster's October 21 survey, Flávio Bolsonaro had 50.6% of valid votes, while Lula registered 49.44%. The PL candidate finished the October 4 first round ahead of the president, with 47.03% versus 45.16% of valid votes. Seeking a comeback to secure Lula's reelection, the PT campaign has mobilized voters through street rallies and social media efforts.