SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:
Voting in Brazil's tight presidential runoff election has been extended today. Both candidates asked for that extension. The race to lead Latin America's largest democracy is a nail-biter. Many polls say it's too close to call. Incumbent leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is facing his toughest election of his long political career. His challenger, Flávio Bolsonaro, is the son of the former far-right president, and he has managed to galvanize Brazilians who've been increasingly voting conservative in recent years. We now go to the capital city Brasília where we are joined by NPR's Carrie Kahn. Hi, Carrie.
CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Hi.
PFEIFFER: Carrie, what is the voting scene like out there today?
KAHN: Well, it had been a very calm day, but busy here in Brasília. Polls were set to close at 5 p.m. local time, but now the Supreme Court has ruled that voting be extended. A justice was acting on separate petitions, as you said, from both candidates' parties. But there's been a lot of confusion because that ruling to extend the hours came just after the polls closed. So some stations reopened, others had turned off voting machines. We'll just have to see how this shakes out in the coming hours.
PFEIFFER: And tell us about President Lula's challenger, Flávio Bolsonaro.
KAHN: He is a current senator. His father is Jair Bolsonaro, who lost his own reelection bid four years ago to Lula and then was convicted for attempting a coup to overturn that election. Flávio Bolsonaro has done very well in this race. He's 45. He is much younger than Lula, and he's projected himself as a change for Brazil. He's not as bombastic as his father. He's not as charismatic, either, but he did pull out his first-place finish in the first round of voting ahead of Lula.
PFEIFFER: And, Carrie, I assume you've been talking with voters. What are you hearing from them?
KAHN: Yes. I spent a lot of time today at this large private university in a suburb here outside the capital. It had dozens of polling stations. The crowds were big there and constant and much more enthusiastic than during the first round. You know, in that first round, we saw more than 33 million people sit out the vote. Here's a 50-year-old cattle rancher that I spoke to. His name is Flavio - Flavio too - but it's Flavio Coelho. He said he just wants the left out, and Brazil needs a change after so many years of Lula.
FLAVIO COELHO: (Speaking Portuguese).
KAHN: He says, "the left hands out high salaries to people who do nothing, who just sit at a desk all day." And he wants to see cuts to Brazil's public sector and programs. He also wants to see closer ties with the U.S. And he wants Bolsonaro to pardon his father and also revamp Brazil's Supreme Court, which he says has become too powerful. And there were plenty of Lula supporters there, too, Sacha.
PFEIFFER: And those Lula supporters, what are they saying?
KAHN: Many were worried about those cuts to social services for the poor and cuts to Brazil's free healthcare, like this Lula voter, Kleber Mendonca. He works for the federal government. He says no one on the left in Brazil could beat Bolsonaro. Lula had to run.
KLEBER MENDONCA: (Speaking Portuguese).
KAHN: He says, "look, Lula is a great leader, a great statesman, and he's been very active for an 80-year-old."
A Lula has been the dominant figure in Brazil's left for more than 25 years. Many voters, though, did say they were ready for better options on both sides. I heard that a lot, that voters have soured on politics here in Brazil, where the only chance for many - the only choice they've had for many years has been either a Bolsonaro or Lula.
PFEIFFER: And right, Carrie, you said many people sat out the last election, but it sounds like today there are voters out in force. It feels like despite political fatigue, they still care. They're still coming to vote.
KAHN: It does feel like the campaign's picked up speed in the final days, holding huge rallies. But many voters say they feel like they're voting for the lesser of two evils. Both candidates face allegations of corruptions during their political careers. Lula was convicted of corruption and spent time in jail. His charges were overturned, and he's always denied wrongdoing. But that stained his legacy.
And Bolsonaro and his family have allegations too. Recently, they've been having to fight back these charges over millions of dollars raised for a biopic about Jair Bolsonaro, and the money came from this disgraced banker. Flávio Bolsonaro denies any wrongdoing. But, you know, all these accusations contribute to voter fatigue and apathy in this really crucial race here in Brazil right now.
PFEIFFER: Carrie, although this is an overseas election, how has the relationship between Brazil and the U.S. and President Trump played into this race?
KAHN: The No. 1 issues are domestic, though, like the high cost of living and crime. But Trump does come up, especially as he's become more assertive in Latin America. For Lula voters, they say they - that worries them, and they don't want the U.S. coming and taking Brazil's resources like its rare earth minerals. Bolsonaro voters, however, applaud the closer ties especially, many say, if that helps combat crime.
PFEIFFER: That is NPR international correspondent Carrie Kahn, speaking to us from Brasília. Thanks, Carrie.
KAHN: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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