Brazilian Court Clarifies Vote Extension Applies Only to Open Polling Stations

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin clarified that his decision to extend voting until 7 PM applies only to polling stations still open at the time of the ruling, with votes from already-closed stations counted normally. The decision followed a request from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's coalition citing public transport problems. The head of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), Justice Kassio Nunes Marques, issued an official notice instructing regional electoral courts to keep open sections operating until 7 PM Brasília time. Partial results showed Lula with 57.66% of votes against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro's 42.34%, based on 1,225 counted sections. The extension request covered at least nine states, including São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Paraná, following an earlier petition for three Bahia municipalities. Bolsonaro's campaign separately requested a two-hour extension in areas of Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul affected by heavy rains and flooding.