Brazil Tally Halts as Court Extends Voting Hours for Lula

The presidential runoff count in Brazil stopped on Sunday evening after a Supreme Court justice ordered polling stations in some areas to keep voting open longer. The pause comes as President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has taken a lead over Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. At 8:30 p.m. in Brasília, with about 50 percent of the votes tallied, Lula was ahead.

The shift in the count followed a decision by Justice Cristiano Zanin to extend voting hours. Zanin, who formerly served as Lula’s lawyer, granted the request based on claims of public transportation issues in three cities in the state of Bahia. The ruling arrived around the 5 p.m. closing time. Stations that had already shut remained closed to allow counting to begin. Those still open received voters for two additional hours. The pause by the electoral court, known as the TSE, created a gap in the data flow.

The pattern of the count mirrored previous elections in the country. Conservative candidates often lead early, while leftist candidates gain ground as results from the poorer, more populous northeastern states arrive. Lula started strong but fell behind Bolsonaro. He regained the lead as ballots from his northeastern stronghold came in. Pollsters suggested that higher-than-expected turnout contributed to Lula’s position. Andrei Roman, CEO of AtlasIntel, told Reuters that Lula would be re-elected.

The legal maneuver has drawn scrutiny. Eduardo Bolsonaro, the senator’s brother, questioned on a YouTube live stream why the Supreme Court intervened in a matter overseen by the electoral court. He called the move strange and said it does not inspire credibility. Vera Chemim, a constitutional lawyer in São Paulo, noted that the extended hours and transportation allegations could prompt legal challenges. She warned that the losing side might contest the outcome by arguing that many people were unable to vote even with the extended deadline.

Lula’s campaign alleged that officials in at least nine states cut election-day public transportation. In Salvador, a court ordered the arrest of a senior transportation official over allegations that he directed a reduction in the city's bus fleet. Lula described the situation as abominable. Flávio Bolsonaro also sought an extension in at least three states, citing bad weather. The electoral court had not yet declared a winner, but Lula’s allies were already claiming victory on social media.

The dispute adds a layer of complexity to a process still dealing with the aftermath of 2022. That year, Jair Bolsonaro refused to concede defeat to Lula. His supporters later stormed government buildings, and he received a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup. Lula and his allies view the runoff as a chance to halt Latin America's conservative drift. Reuters reported on a campaign within the US State Department to help return the Bolsonaros to power. President Donald Trump has not endorsed a candidate. He told reporters in Washington that he does not want to get into it but is watching.