Brazil Extends Runoff Voting to 7 PM Nationwide for First Time

For the first time since Brazil's re-democratization, voting in a presidential runoff was extended nationwide. Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ordered polls to remain open until 7 PM on Sunday, October 25, 2026, instead of the originally scheduled 5 PM. The decision came after campaigns for Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro requested extensions due to voter travel difficulties. Lula's campaign cited bus fleet reductions in cities like São Paulo and Salvador, while Bolsonaro's campaign highlighted heavy rains, flooding, and power outages in several states. The extension also applies to Espírito Santo, where voters choose both president and governor. A similar request was rejected in the 2022 runoff, making this the first national extension in a presidential second round.