Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will face each other in a tight runoff
Sao Paulo – Two separate polls published on Saturday gave Flavio Bolsonaro a two-point lead over President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the eve of Brazilian elections.
Bolsonaro, the son of jailed ex-leader Jair Bolsonaro, is the narrow favorite to win Sunday’s runoff after nabbing 47 percent of the vote over Lula’s 45 percent in the first round.
Saturday’s polls published by the Datafolha institute and Quaest give Bolsonaro 51 percent of voting intentions, while Lula has 49 percent.
Both polls show a difference between the candidates that falls within the margin of error, locking them in a statistical tie.
No first-round loser in the history of Brazilian democracy has bounced back to win the runoff, but Lula’s campaign has regained momentum with massive protests and an intense digital campaign since the shock result.
The pair took part in a final televised debate on Friday, during which they mostly focused on policy proposals after a first debate that quickly deteriorated into a barrage of insults.
The Datafolha poll was conducted between Thursday and Friday and does not specify whether interviews were carried out after the program.
The Quaest poll was conducted between Friday and Saturday, when both campaigns staged massive rallies in a last bid to sway voters.
Most polls did not foresee Bolsonaro’s first-round victory, instead projecting a narrow Lula win.