Lula flips 211 Brazilian cities to win runoff against Bolsonaro

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva gained ground on Flávio Bolsonaro in 96.7% of Brazilian municipalities in the runoff, securing a historic comeback that guaranteed his re-election. Lula won a majority in 2,875 cities versus 2,695 for Bolsonaro, reversing the result in 211 municipalities. The turnaround included Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's second-largest electoral district, and Macapá, with most reversals concentrated in the Southeast and South regions. Lula also overcame a 2.2 million first-round vote deficit to finish 4.4 million votes ahead in the second round. Minas Gerais saw the most flipped cities, with 76 municipalities switching to Lula, the only state where he reversed the overall vote. The runoff also recorded the lowest abstention rate in 20 years despite transportation issues that extended voting hours.