Lula’s dramatic comeback against Flavio Bolsonaro

Brazil’s presidential runoff has delivered a remarkable reversal, described by some as a “miracle reelection”. After trailing Flavio Bolsonaro (former President Jair Bolsonaro’s son) by 2.2 million votes in the first round, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won reelection with 51.79 percent of valid votes – a margin of 4.43 million. Bolsonaro will apparently seek to annul the election.

Lula amazingly gained 10.38 million votes between rounds against Flavio’s 3.72 million. Abstention fell nearly two points, adding almost three million voters, and blank and null ballots dropped by 1.82 million.

The arithmetic here is impressive enough: of the approximately 14.1 million additional valid votes gained by the two finalists, Lula accounted for nearly 74% of the combined net increase, based on Superior Electoral Court (TSE) figures. This means the 10.38-million-vote gain exceeded the eliminated candidates’ combined first-round total of roughly 9.3 million.