Bolsonaro takes early lead over Lula in Brazil presidential vote Right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has taken an early lead over leftist incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the first round of Brazil's presidential election, initial returns confirm. With 19.54 percent of ballots processed, Bolsonaro holds 51.17 percent of the valid vote against 40.72 percent for Lula, setting the stage for a potential second-round runoff if neither candidate secures a majority by the end of counting. Bolsonaro takes early lead over Lula in Brazil presidential vote. / AP Right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has taken an early lead over leftist incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the first round of Brazil's presidential election, initial returns released by the country's superior electoral court confirm. Bolsonaro Extends Early LeadWith 19.54 percent of ballots officially processed, Bolsonaro holds 51.17 percent of the valid vote-which excludes blank and spoilt ballots-against 40.72 percent for Lula. The updated figure follows an initial threshold report at 10.08 percent of tallied votes, where Bolsonaro registered 50.96 percent against 40.78 percent for the sitting president.Electoral analysts note that southern states, which traditionally favour Bolsonaro, are frequently the quickest to tabulate and transmit returns, whilst tallies from Lula's historic strongholds across the north-east typically arrive later in the evening. Voting stations closed across Brazil at 5:00 pm Brasilia time (20:00 GMT), though electoral officials permitted citizens already queueing at precincts to cast their ballots.More than 158.7 million registered voters were eligible to take part in Sunday's nationwide poll, which also decided key races for state governors, the Federal Senate, and the Chamber of Deputies. Ballot counting began immediately after the polls closed, with electronic tallies transmitted directly from secure voting machines and continuously aggregated into the national registry.Runoff Set for October 25The high-stakes contest pits Lula against Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, amidst severe ideological polarisation and ongoing investigations into alleged foreign interference. Under Brazilian electoral law, if neither candidate secures more than 50 percent of valid votes once counting concludes, the two front-runners will advance to a second-round runoff scheduled for October 25.