Brazil will hold a presidential runoff on Sunday, October 25, 2026, after no candidate won the presidency in the first round. For American and international readers, the process can look unusual because Brazil uses a national election authority and a two-round system for the presidency.
The most important thing to know is simple: the runoff is a new election between the two candidates who advanced from the first round. The first-round percentages do not carry over.
For live numbers on election day, open our Brazil Election 2026 live results page. It is designed for English-speaking readers and uses the same TSE-backed data service as our Portuguese coverage.
Why does Brazil have a presidential runoff?
Brazilian presidential elections can require two rounds.
If no candidate reaches the threshold needed to win in the first round, the two most-voted candidates advance to a second round.
For the 2026 election, Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court confirmed that Flávio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party (PL) and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the Workers’ Party (PT) advanced to the runoff.
According to the TSE’s official first-round report, Flávio Bolsonaro received 47.03% of valid votes and Lula received 45.16%.
Those figures explain how the runoff was reached, but they do not determine the second-round result.
Official source: Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court — TSE.
When is the second round?
The second round is scheduled for October 25, 2026.
The official TSE election calendar states that voting begins at 8:00 AM Brasília time and closes at 5:00 PM Brasília time. After voting closes, polling-station reports can begin to be issued and the official count can be published as data is processed.
That centralized national schedule is one of the main differences American readers will notice when comparing Brazil with U.S. elections.
Official source: TSE 2026 election calendar.
Who can win the runoff?
Only the two presidential candidates who advanced from the first round appear in the presidential runoff.
The runoff decides the presidency based on the second-round vote. It is not an extension of the first-round tally.
In practical terms, voters return to the polls and choose between the two remaining presidential tickets.
For a separate overview of the two candidates and the first-round results, read Flávio Bolsonaro vs. Lula: Brazil’s 2026 runoff explained.
How does Brazil count votes?
Brazil uses electronic voting machines, and election results are published nationally through the electoral justice system.
After polls close, polling stations produce election reports. Those results are transmitted and processed through the official election infrastructure.
The TSE is the national authority responsible for publishing the official totals.
That means an English-language site does not need to combine dozens of independent state reporting systems to explain the national presidential count. Instead, it can follow the TSE’s centralized publication of results.
Our live page is built around that model.
When will results start appearing?
The official election calendar says voting closes at 5:00 PM Brasília time.
That does not mean a complete national result appears at exactly 5:00 PM. It means the reporting phase begins after voting closes and official data starts being processed.
The percentage counted will increase over time as more polling-station data is included.
For readers in the United States, the exact local time depends on the time zone. Our live results page automatically converts the 5:00 PM Brasília closing time into the visitor’s local time zone.
You can also read our dedicated guide: What time will Brazil election results start in the United States?.
Does an early lead mean a candidate has won?
No.
An early lead only describes the votes included in the count at that moment.
As more votes are processed, percentages can change.
A responsible live-results page should show the current totals, how much of the count has been processed and when the data was last updated without presenting an early lead as a final result.
FamiliaUSA1 does not make its own election projection. Our page is designed to show the official count and clearly identify its source.
Is the TSE similar to a U.S. election authority?
Not exactly.
The United States has a decentralized election system in which state and local authorities play major roles in administration and reporting.
Brazil’s election reporting is much more nationally centralized through the electoral justice system.
For an American reader, this difference is important because it explains why Brazil can present a national presidential count through one central election authority.
What happened in the first round?
The first round took place on October 4, 2026.
With 99.99% of polling stations counted in the official TSE report cited above:
- Flávio Bolsonaro received 56,104,268 votes, or 47.03% of valid votes;
- Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received 53,876,617 votes, or 45.16% of valid votes.
No candidate won the presidency in the first round, so the top two advanced.
Again, the runoff starts with a new vote. Those first-round totals are context, not a starting balance.
Where can Americans follow Brazil’s election live?
FamiliaUSA1 created an English-language results page specifically for this purpose:
Brazil Election 2026 Live Results — Presidential Runoff
The page includes:
- official vote totals and percentages;
- counting progress when supplied by the results feed;
- automatic refresh during active counting;
- the visitor’s local equivalent of the Brasília poll-closing time;
- first-round context;
- a direct link to the official TSE website.
Brazilian readers can use our Portuguese second-round page.
Bottom line
Brazil’s 2026 presidential runoff is a new vote between the two candidates who finished first and second in the first round.
The election takes place on October 25, polls close at 5:00 PM Brasília time, and the official count is published by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).
If you want the numbers rather than the explanation, bookmark the Brazil Election 2026 live results page and return on election day.