Presidential elections in Brazil / A poll puts Lula and Bolsonaro in a tie

Brazil’s incumbent president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and his rival, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, are tied at 50% each in voting intentions, three days before the second round of the presidential election. The data come from a poll conducted by the Datafolha Institute and published on Thursday.

The result gives Lula’s camp a boost, as he finished second in the first round, held on October 4, with 45% of the vote. Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, received 47% of the vote at that time.

Datafolha polls indicate a significant shift over the past two weeks. Two weeks ago, Lula was credited with 48% of voting intentions, compared with 52% for Bolsonaro. A week ago, the difference had reversed: 51% for Lula and 49% for his rival.

The race remains close, however, and the result is within the margin of error. A poll conducted by the Quaest Institute and published on Wednesday credited Flavio Bolsonaro with 45% and Lula with 44%. Most opinion polls did not anticipate Bolsonaro’s victory in the first round and identified Lula as the favorite.ccuntegn