Vanessa Buschschlüter
Latin America digital editor in Rio de Janeiro

It has been an agonising few months in Brazil.

Two bitter rivals went head-to-head and a nation took sides.

There was much bitterness, vitriol and division both from the candidates and their followers.

That polarisation is unlikely to disappear. Congress is dominated by lawmakers loyal to Bolsonaro and Lula will face an uphill struggle to get his policies past them.

Bolsonaro supporters were confident of victory and this will be a shock to them.

But Lula supporters are relieved and happy.

Brazil's Former President Luiz Inácio 'Lula' da Silva has won the run-off of the presidential election and incumbent far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has failed to win a second term in power.

Lula won 50.83% of all valid votes, whilst 49.17% of votes went to Bolsonaro, with just under 99% of the votes counted at 22:59 GMT.

The new president will be sworn in on 1 January 2023.

Vanessa Buschschlüter
Latin America digital editor in Rio de Janeiro

Minas Gerais is seen as Brazil's bellweather state. Whoever wins here, normally goes on to win the presidency.

And Lula's advantage looks unassailable.

Both candidates had campaigned extensively there in the hope of winning it.

The final result nationwide is not far off and many Lula supporters see a win in Minas Gerais as the signal to start their celebrations for real.

Just under 98% of the results are in, with Lula showing a very narrow lead with 50.74% of the vote.

Bolsonaro has 49.26% of the vote at 22:38 GMT.

Katy Watson
South America correspondent in São Paulo

The remoteness of the Yanomami territory is the reason for its beauty - as well as its strife. Close to 30,000 people live a hunter-gatherer lifestyle on a reserve the size of Portugal.

The land is highly coveted - rich in gold and minerals, it has long been in the sights of illegal miners, but in 1992, a presidential decree recognised the Yanomami people's rights to the land.

While mining activity decreased after their land was protected, in the past four years under President Jair Bolsonaro, it's hit new highs. The region is experiencing an illegal gold rush.

In this vast rainforest, there's little hope that politicians can keep them safe.

Read more here.

Poverty has been a huge issue this election.

Because of Covid and the cost of living crisis, many Brazilians are struggling financially.

North-eastern Brazil was hit particularly hard during the pandemic, and in the state of Ceará, many believe Lula is the man with the answer to their problems.

More than 90% of valid votes have now been counted and we will know who won today's vote shortly.

Brazilians have gone to the polls to choose between far-right incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro and former leftist President Luiz Inácio 'Lula' da Silva.

Lula is now leading with 50.53% of votes, meanwhile Bolsonaro has 49.47% of votes (as of 22:10 GMT).

Whoever wins tonight will be Brazil's next president.

Sofia Bettiza
BBC World Service, reporting from São Paulo

When Lula surpassed Bolsonaro young Brazilians at this bar in São Paulo cheered.

A lot of people are wearing red (Lula’s colour), drinking beer and singing. It feels like a football match.

But it's a very tight race, and votes are still being counted.

Katy Watson
South America correspondent in São Paulo

Sao Paulo is Brazil’s biggest city, where the rich and poor are at their most extreme - and Morumbi is a neighbourhood that perfectly encapsulates that.

Wealthy families in luxury tower blocks sit alongside one of Brazil’s biggest favelas, Paraisopolis (which translates as Paradise City).

Maria Duarte, 45, was wearing a red dress in support of her candidate Lula.

“I was able to go to university because of Lula,” she said. “And I’m from the north-east [where Lula is from], he did lots of good things there. I think he’s far more supportive of the poor than Bolsonaro.”

But standing nearby is Marta Pires de Cavalho and her son, both dressed in Brazil football shirts, the colours of which have become a symbol of support for Bolsonaro.

“It’s so polarised, but I think Bolsonaro, in these last four years, hasn’t been able to show his work because there have been three years of a paralysed economy because of the pandemic,” she says.

“So if he was able to show what he can do, I think he deserves a second chance.”

But for 30-year-old Fernanda Bitar, neither candidate was an option so she spoiled her vote.

“We have to decide between two candidates that just make Brazil such a polarised country inciting violence and extremes, and they don't represent any of the young population,” she says.

”It's really very sad, so my vote is a vote of protest.”

Image source, Reuters

Jair Bolsonaro is seeking re-election after becoming president of Brazil in January 2019.

To his supporters, Bolsonaro is a "legend" and they are convinced he will be re-elected despite the latest polls giving his main rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a narrow lead.

Bolsonaro hit this year's campaign trail in Juiz de Fora, the city where he was stabbed in 2018 - the place where, in his own words, he was "born again".

Vanessa Buschschlüter
Latin America digital editor in Rio de Janeiro

When the vote count started, Bolsonaro had a lead over Lula.

But as it has progressed, Lula has been inching ever closer and has just gained a tiny lead.

This happened in the first round, too. Of course neither of the candidates is home and dry yet.

More than 30% of votes still have to be counted - that's still a big chunk of the ballots.

Juliana Gragnani
World Service Disinformation Team

Image source, Reuters

This year's elections will be remembered as one with widespread disinformation – and the electoral court has cracked down on disinformation this cycle.

The tougher approach was seen as an exceptional move in an exceptional time, but raised concerns that it could edge on censorship.

In particular, religious disinformation was a prevalent in the campaign ahead of the second round.

Bolsonaro supporters associated Lula with Satanism and claimed if he was elected, he would close churches – both false allegations.

Lula supporters reacted, linking Bolsonaro to Freemasonry and cannibalism - accusations the country's electoral court said were taken out of context.

Today, Electoral Court Chief Justice Alexandre De Moraes said seven websites spreading falsehoods had their monetisation suspended, 701 URLs were removed, and 15 profiles of “big fake news spreaders” were banned, as well five Telegram groups.

The biggest concern throughout the day, however, has been an unusually high number of roadblocks carried by the federal highway police.

Moraes said they may have delayed people from voting, but did not stop them.

As we've been reporting, the number of valid votes counted is rising rapidly.

More than 50% of votes have now been counted. Incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro is ahead with 50.3%, whilst former President Luiz Inácio 'Lula' da Silva has 49.7%.

We'll keep bringing you the latest as soon as we get it.

In the first round earlier this month, Lula won 48% against Bolsonaro’s 43% - a much closer result than opinion polls had predicted.

Even though Lula won the round, he failed to reach the 50% of valid votes needed to win the election outright.

The election went into a run-off and in the four weeks since the first round, the two candidates have been trying to sway undecided voters and those who cast their ballots for one of the other eight candidates in the first round.

Today's winner will become Brazil's next president.

Sofia Bettiza
BBC World Service, reporting from São Paulo

We are in Avenida Paulista, the most important street in the city.

Dozens of riot police with body armour, shields and horses are already lined up here.

We saw a police riot truck parked nearby.

This is not unusual: the same precautions were in place during the first round a few weeks ago.

Incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro has cast unsubstantiated doubts on the trustworthiness of Brazil's electronic voting system this cycle.

Voters across Brazil headed to the polls to take part in the election, which will see either President Bolsonaro or former President Lula become the country's next president.

Here are some scenes from today:

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

Image source, Getty Images

Vanessa Buschschlüter
Latin America digital editor in Rio de Janeiro

In an earlier post we heard from a teacher in Fortaleza who said she switched to Bolsonaro because Lula's party hadn't delivered on the promises it had made for the region.

But many others in Fortaleza - a Lula stronghold - disagree with that view.

Samara is 30 years old and works in a bank. She says that her financial situation and that of her family improved during Lula's time in office.

"My father, an entrepreneur, had access to credit which allowed him to expand his business a little," she explains.

"I myself benefitted from a student grant which allowed me to finish my university studies. Everyone in my home is voting for Lula in this election."

As we've been reporting, Brazilians have been voting for their next president. Polling stations closed a short while ago and counting is now well under way:

At the moment, more than 25% of valid votes have been counted and this number is rising quickly.

Incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro has 51.23% of votes, whilst former President Luiz Inácio 'Lula' da Silva has 48.77% of votes counted (as of 20:59 GMT).

We'll keep bringing you the latest as the number of counted votes increases.

We will note that Lula's Workers Party usually gets stronger support in regions that are slower to report results.

Mariana Sanches
BBC News Brasil Correspondent in Washington DC

There are strong links between Brasilia and Washington, including record trade between them - aircraft, petroleum, iron and steel - and they also make similar commodities.

Brazil is one of the world’s biggest democracies and in 2021, it became the country in which China invested the most, a blow to the US in its rivalry with Beijing.

So interest in who takes power in Brazil - current President Jair Bolsonaro or former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva - was always going to be high.

You can read more here.

Vanessa Buschschlüter
Latin America digital editor in Rio de Janeiro

Here in Rio, a group of friends has gathered at a bar in the Flamengo neighbourhood to watch the results come in.

They support Lula and are hoping he will win.

But their predictions as to how easy or hard it will be for the left-wing candidate range from "he will just about make it" to "we will be victorious, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried".

With just about 10% of the votes counted so far, they're only occasionally glancing up at the large screen showing the count.

But no doubt as the counting progresses, nerves will begin to show.

Vanessa Buschschlüter
Latin America digital editor in Rio de Janeiro

Image source, Courtesy of Maria do Carmo Oliveira

Maria do Carmo Oliveira is a voter in Fortaleza, a city in the north-east which is a Lula stronghold.

She used to vote for Lula and his Workers' Party (PT) but in 2018 she switched to Bolsonaro.

"The PT made a lot of promises but they didn't deliver. Over the years, I became disillusioned and looked around for an alternative and decided to give Bolsonaro a chance," she said.

"I voted for Bolsonaro again this time because during his time in office, I saw results. He has done a lot for the north-east!"

Maria, a teacher in the country's public school system, also praises the rise in teachers' salaries introduced during his time in office.

She told me that she's not a hardcore Bolsonaro supporter, she doesn't think he is a "legend", and that - should he "turn bad" - she won't vote for him again.

But today, she says, the choice was an easy one.