Lula thanks voters, says he's 'never seen' a runoff like this

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva thanked voters on Sunday and said he has "never seen" a presidential runoff like this one, citing recent political demonstrations supporting him across the country. Speaking to reporters after leaving his home to vote in São Bernardo do Campo, the 80-year-old candidate noted his five decades in politics and participation in every presidential campaign since 1989, saying he had never witnessed such public engagement in a second round. Polls opened at 8 a.m. nationwide for the 2026 runoff, with over 158 million eligible voters choosing the next president. The election follows a first round where Flávio Bolsonaro led Lula by 1.87 percentage points, with 47.03% to 45.16% of valid votes.