Brazil's polarizing presidential race will go to a second round after no candidate achieved more than 50 per cent of the vote.
With more than 97 per cent of the vote counted Sunday evening, results released by Brazil's Electoral Superior Court showed left-wing candidate and former president Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva held a slight lead over incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro – but not enough to cross the threshold to victory.
Mr. Lula and Mr. Bolsonaro will face each other again on October 30 for a run-off vote.
Sunday's vote followed a bruising campaign season marked by bitter verbal attacks and a series of violent incidents between supporters of Mr. Bolsonaro and Mr. Lula.
The campaigns appeared to have galvanized significant voter turnout, with long queues at voting stations.
According to a Datafolha poll released Thursday, 85 per cent of voters said they had already decided on a candidate.
Several other presidential candidates were in the running but trailed far behind the two frontrunners.
