Brazil Pauses Vote Count After Court Extends Voting Hours

Brazil's Supreme Court extended voting in the presidential election by two hours on Sunday, prompting the electoral authority to pause a vote count that had already begun publishing early results. The extension came after leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's campaign requested it, citing public transportation issues in three cities in Bahia state. The election pits Lula against right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro. Early results before the pause showed Lula leading with 57.66 percent of votes against 42.34 percent for Bolsonaro, with only 0.25 percent of ballots counted. The pause adds uncertainty to a process still recovering from 2022, when Jair Bolsonaro refused to concede and later received a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup. Lula had sought extensions in nine states over transit concerns, while Flavio Bolsonaro also requested extensions in three states due to bad weather.