Brazil’s Presidential Election

158 million Brazilians head to the polls

Over 158 million Brazilians are eligible to vote in today’s presidential election, according to Globo. The majority—136 million—are required by law to vote. Voters over the age of 60 and under 18 have the right to abstain.

Polling stations opened at 8:00 a.m. local time, which corresponds to 12:00 p.m. in Sweden.

The contest between the incumbent left-wing president, Lula da Silva, and the far-right candidate, Jair Bolsonaro, appears to be extremely close.

Deeply divided voters warn of the end of democracy

According to opinion polls ahead of today’s Brazilian presidential election, less than two percentage points separate Lula da Silva and Jair Bolsonaro, reports The Guardian. The divide between their respective supporters, however, appears to be significantly wider.

“We are choosing between two completely different visions for the country,” says 63-year-old architect Nuno Rau. According to him, Lula stands for income redistribution and free education, while Bolsonaro seeks “the end of civil rights and democracy.”

Another voter, 62-year-old lawyer Aparecida Moreira, told the same newspaper that she intends to vote for Bolsonaro because of his hardline stance on crime. According to CNN, Lula da Silva was perceived as being too soft on criminals during his previous term as president—a perception that has become a liability for him in this election campaign.