Electoral workers move electronic voting machine boxes at a distribution center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Brazil's general elections are scheduled for Oct. 2. Brazilians head to polls on Oct. 2 to elect a president, vice president, governors and senators. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) An electoral worker installs an electronic voting machine during the assembly of a polling station at a school in preparation for the general election, in Brasilia, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Brazilians head to polls on Oct. 2 to elect a president, vice president, governors and senators. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Reflected on a security guardhouse mirror, an electoral worker delivers electronic voting machines to a polling station in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Brazilians head to polls on Oct. 2 to elect a president, vice president, governors and senators. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) A demonstrator dressed in the colors of the Brazilian flag performs in front of a street vendor's towels for sale featuring Brazilian presidential candidates, current President Jair Bolsonaro, center, and former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022. Nearly a dozen candidates are running in Brazil’s presidential election but only two stand a chance of reaching a runoff: former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for president, shakes hands with a supporter as he campaigns a day ahead of the country's general election, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano) Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro who is running for re-election, leads a caravan of motorcycle enthusiasts with Sao Paulo governor's candidate Tarcisio de Freitas, riding on the backseat, during a campaign event in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, October 1, 2022. Brazilians head to the polls to elect a president on Oct. 2. (AP Photo/Marcelo Chello) Supporters of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wait for him to arrive in a motorcycle rally as part of his campaign for a second term, in Pocos de Caldas, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. Brazil's general elections are scheduled for Oct. 2. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) Supporters of Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for president, attend a campaign rally a day ahead of the country's general election, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) People wait to watch the presidential debate, near a cutout of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is running for president, in the Saude neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. Brazil's general elections are scheduled for Sunday. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Supporters of Brazil's former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is running for president again, dance and sing Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, at a public bar at the Lapa neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, one day before Brazilians go to the polls in a general election. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Supporters of Brazil's former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is running for president again, dance and sing at a public bar Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in the Lapa neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, one day before Brazilians go to the polls in a general election. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) A couple kisses outside a bar at the Lapa neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, one day before Brazil goes to the polls in a general election. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Voters line up at a polling station in the Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Voters line up during general elections in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Voters line up during general elections in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Voters arrive to a polling station during general elections in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Voters line up at a polling station during general elections in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is running for another term, talks to press as he arrives to a polling station to vote in the general elections in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for president again, gives a thumbs after voting in general election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for president again, kisses his ballot after voting in general elections in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is running for another term, arrives to a polling station to vote in the general elections in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Voters line up at a polling post in the Mare neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who is running for another term, waves as he drives away from a polling station after voting in general elections in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for president again, greets supporters after he voted in the general election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Marcelo Chello) A supporter kisses former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for president again, after he voted in general elections in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Marcelo Chello) Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is running for another term, looks at electoral officials before voting in the general election in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (Andre Coelho/Pool via AP)) Voters line up outside a polling station during general elections in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Voters arrive to a polling station during general elections in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for president again, waves upon his arrival to a polling station to vote in the general election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Marcelo Chello) A girl sits on the sidewalk amidst electoral fliers as voters line up outside a polling station during general elections in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Voters choose their candidates during general elections in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) A man chooses his candidates during general elections in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) A woman holding a baby votes during general elections in Acegua, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico) Voters line up at a polling station in the Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) A voter displays a flag of the Workers Party of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for president again, before voting in the general election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for president again, waves to supporters after voting in the general election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Marcelo Chello) The Sugar loaf and Guanabara bay are seen behind the Christ the Redeemer statue before the opening of the polls for general elections in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, early Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) A man sells flags during general elections in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. For sale are Brazil national flags and of Presidential candidates, the incumbent Jair Bolsoaro and former president Luiz Inacio "Lula" da silva, (AP Photo/Andre Penner) A man sells bikinis at Copacabana Beach during general elections, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) A Brazlian flag waves in the breeze on Copacabana Beach during general elections, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) A man wearing a Brazil jersey with a sticker of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva, who is running for president, poses for a photo during general elections, in Acegua, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico) People line up to vote during general election, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) A man sells balls on Copacabana Beach during general elections, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) A woman holding a baby votes during general elections, in Acegua, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico) A man holding a baby votes during general elections, in Acegua, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico) A family wearing Brazilian jerseys arrives at a polling station to vote during general elections, in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for president, arrives at a polling station to vote in the general election, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Marcelo Chello) A man walks his dog, with a Brazilian national flag draped over his shoulders during general elections, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) A man waits to vote during general elections, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) A follower of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva, who is running for president again, celebrates partial results after general election polls closed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) A woman holds a Brazilian flag and another with the image of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is running for another term, after general election polls closed in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Ton Molina) A follower of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva, who is again running for president, celebrates partial results after general election polls closed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) A woman holds a Brazilian flag with the image of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is running for another term, after general election polls closed in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Ton Molina) A woman walks at Ipanema Beach after general election polls closed during general elections in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Followers of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva, who is running for president again, celebrate partial results after general election polls closed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Followers of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva, who is running for president again, celebrate partial results after general election polls closed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilians voted Sunday in a highly polarized election that could determine if the country returns a leftist to the helm of the world’s fourth-largest democracy or keeps the far-right incumbent in office for another four years.
Anyone at voting stations before the formal closing at 5 p.m. Brasilia time (4 p.m. Eastern; 2000 GMT) was still able to vote, authorities said, and long lines of people waited to cast their ballots in many cities.
The race pits incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro against his political nemesis, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. There are nine other candidates, but their support pales to that for Bolsonaro and da Silva.
Recent opinion polls have given da Silva a commanding lead — the last Datafolha survey published Saturday found a 50% to 36% advantage for da Silva among those who intended to vote. It interviewed 12,800 people, with a margin of error of two percentage points.
Fernanda Reznik, a 48-year-old health worker, wore a red T-shirt — a color associated with da Silva's Workers' Party — to vote in Copacabana, where pro-Bolsonaro demonstrators often congregate, and had been waiting in line for 40 minutes.
“I’ll wait three hours if I have to!" said Reznik, who no longer bothers talking politics with neighbors who favor Bolsonaro. "This year the election is more important, because we already went through four years of Bolsonaro and today we can make a difference and give this country another direction.”
Bolsonaro’s administration has been marked by incendiary speech, his testing of democratic institutions, his widely criticized handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the worst deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in 15 years.
But he has built a devoted base by defending conservative values, rebuffing political correctness and presenting himself as protecting the nation from leftist policies that he says infringe on personal liberties and produce economic turmoil.
Marley Melo, a 53-year-old trader in capital Brasilia, sported the yellow of the Brazilian flag, which Bolsonaro and his supporters have coopted for demonstrations. Melo said he is once again voting for Bolsonaro, who met his expectations, and he doesn't believe the surveys that show him trailing.
“Polls can be manipulated. They all belong to companies with interests," he said.
A slow economic recovery has yet to reach the poor, with 33 million Brazilians going hungry despite higher welfare payments. Like several of its Latin American neighbors coping with high inflation and a vast number of people excluded from formal employment, Brazil is considering a shift to the political left.
Da Silva could win in the first round, without need for a run-off on Oct. 30, if he gets more than 50% of valid votes, which exclude spoiled and blank ballots.
An outright win by da Silva would sharpen focus on Bolsonaro's reaction to the count. He has repeatedly questioned the reliability not just of opinion polls, but also of Brazil's electronic voting machines. Analysts fear he has laid the groundwork to reject results.
At one point, Bolsonaro claimed to possess evidence of fraud, but never presented any, even after the electoral authority set a deadline to do so. He said as recently as Sept. 18 that if he doesn’t win in the first round, something must be “abnormal.”
Da Silva, 76, was once a metalworker who rose from poverty to the presidency and is credited with building an extensive social welfare program during his 2003-2010 tenure that helped lift tens of millions into the middle class.
But he is also remembered for his administration’s involvement in vast corruption scandals that entangled politicians and business executives.
Da Silva's own convictions for corruption and money laundering led to 19 months imprisonment, sidelining him from the 2018 presidential race that polls indicated he had been leading against Bolsonaro. The Supreme Court later annulled da Silva’s convictions on grounds that the judge was biased and colluded with prosecutors.
Social worker Nadja Oliveira, 59, said she voted for da Silva and even attended his rallies, but since 2018 votes for Bolsonaro.
“Unfortunately the Workers’ Party disappointed us. It promised to be different,” she said in Brasilia.
Others, like Marialva Pereira, are more forgiving. She said she would vote for the former president for the first time since 2002.
“I didn’t like the scandals in his first administration, never voted for the Workers’ Party again. Now I will, because I think he was unjustly jailed and because Bolsonaro is such a bad president that it makes everyone else look better,” said Pereira, 47.
Speaking after casting his ballot in Sao Bernardo do Campo, the manufacturing hub in Sao Paulo state where he was a union leader, da Silva recalled that four years ago he was imprisoned and unable to vote.
“I want to try to make the country return to normality, try to make this country again take care of its people,” he told reporters.
Bolsonaro grew up in a lower-middle-class family before joining the army. He turned to politics after being forced out of the military for openly pushing to raise servicemen’s pay. During his seven terms as a fringe lawmaker in Congress’ lower house, he regularly expressed nostalgia for the country’s two-decade military dictatorship.
His overtures to the armed forces have raised concern that his possible rejection of election results could be backed by top brass.
On Saturday, Bolsonaro shared social media posts by right-leaning foreign politicians, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, who called on Brazilians to vote for him. Israel’s former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed gratitude for stronger bilateral relations and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán also praised him.
After voting Sunday morning, Bolsonaro told journalists that “clean elections must be respected” and that the first round would be decisive. Asked if he would respect results, he gave a thumbs up and walked away.
Leda Wasem, 68, had no doubt Bolsonaro will not just be reelected, but win outright in the first round. Wearing a jersey of the national soccer squad at a polling place in downtown Curitiba, the real estate agent said an eventual da Silva victory could have only one explanation: fraud.
“I wouldn’t believe it. Where I work, where I go every day, I don’t see a single person who supports Lula,” she said.
___
Savarese reported from Sao Bernardo do Campo. AP writers Daniel Politi and Carla Bridi reported from Curitiba and Brasilia.
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