2018 Brazilian general election

Key results

No presidential candidate secured an absolute majority in the first round. In that vote Jair Bolsonaro, the candidate of the Social Liberal Party, received the largest single share while Fernando Haddad of the Workers’ Party placed second. Because Brazilian law requires a majority for election, the two top candidates proceeded to the runoff, where Bolsonaro emerged victorious and was elected president.

Context and campaign

The election took place in the shadow of the Operation Car Wash corruption probes and the political fallout that followed. Former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leading figure of the Workers’ Party, was unable to run after legal convictions and incarceration; his party nominated Fernando Haddad as its replacement. Security, the economy, corruption, and social policy were dominant themes. The campaign season was marked by intense debate on social networks, concerns about misinformation, and the violent stabbing of a leading candidate during a campaign event in September 2018.

Significance and aftermath

The result represented a major realignment in Brazilian politics, with a candidate from the political right winning the presidency after more than a decade of Workers’ Party rule. The new administration took office at the beginning of 2019. Legislative elections held at the same time reshaped the composition of Congress and influenced the incoming government’s ability to pursue its agenda.

Components of the general election

• Presidential and vice-presidential ballot: two-round system when no candidate wins over 50% in the first round.
• Legislative contests: all members of the Chamber of Deputies and a portion of the Federal Senate were elected.
• State level: governors and state legislatures were chosen in the same electoral cycle.

Notable facts and further reading

The campaign featured prominent figures and unusual circumstances: the candidacies of Jair Bolsonaro and Fernando Haddad, the sidelining of former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from the ballot, and broad use of online platforms that affected messaging and turnout. For background on Brazil as the national context and on specific institutions involved in administering the vote, see the general country and office information: Brazil overview and resources on the presidency and vice presidency: office of the Vice President.