Lula wins 51.8 percent of vote in Brazil

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has won a record fourth term as president of Brazil.

The vote count reached 100 percent completion with Lula securing 51.8 percent of the total. His opponent, Flavio Bolsonaro, received 48.2 percent. This margin of victory exceeds the result from the previous election when Lula defeated Flavio's father.

The general election saw 128 million Brazilians cast ballots. That number is higher than the 125 million who voted in the first round. Historically, voter turnout typically drops between the first and second rounds in Brazilian elections. Flavio Bolsonaro gained several million votes compared to his earlier total. Lula gained 10 million votes in the same period.

Flavio Bolsonaro won the first round of voting. He is the son of the former president who is currently serving a long prison sentence for attempting to overthrow the government after losing the last election. Several conservative contestants endorsed Flavio Bolsonaro, which led odds makers to view him as the strong favorite.

A grassroots effort called Lula's Army helped drive turnout for the second round. The group formed on the WhatsApp messaging platform over a three week period. Its membership grew from 80,000 to more than 10 million people in that time. Members urged voters to go to the polls and to celebrate. Reports indicate that one million people attended a Lula party on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.

Lula campaigned against Flavio Bolsonaro's ties to US President Donald Trump. Trump is described as deeply unpopular among voters. Lula highlighted his opposition to Trump's tariff policies and other measures over the last two years. He argued that Bolsonaro would act as a puppet for the United States and Trump.

The campaign also focused on technology companies. Lula referenced a previous dispute with Elon Musk that led to a temporary block of the X social media platform in Brazil. Musk agreed to police content after several months of negotiations. Lula also criticized Meta and Facebook for interfering in the election. He cited the blocking of pro-Lula content and the removal of posts from other supporters.

Flavio Bolsonaro has already challenged the results. He is demanding an audit of the votes. In the past, such audits at this level have never overturned an election. Lula will face strong opposition in Congress where Bolsonaro's allies hold significant representation.