Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured a decisive victory in the overseas vote during Brazil’s general election on October 2, 2026, leading in regions including mainland China, Europe, and Oceania. His main rival, Flavio Bolsonaro, achieved notable wins in Hong Kong and a few other cities.
Thousands of Brazilian expatriates participated in the election, casting their ballots at embassies and consulates in a largely orderly environment. Unlike voters in Brazil, those voting abroad were only eligible to select a presidential candidate, as congressional and state elections were not included on their ballots.
Lula, representing the Workers’ Party (PT), garnered approximately 65.7% of the votes from Brazilians in mainland China, with Bolsonaro receiving 24%. This result marked a historic win for a Workers’ Party candidate, who previously did not dominate the polling stations in China. In contrast, Jair Bolsonaro had won the Asian nation in the 2018 election.
In mainland China, Lula excelled in Beijing with 77.6% of the votes, while in Shanghai, he received 63.7%. The results were more competitive in Guangdong, where he collected 52.2% compared to Bolsonaro’s 38%.
Lula also led the vote in Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia. In New Zealand, for instance, he achieved 73.4% against Bolsonaro’s 15.8%, while in South Korea, he obtained 56.9% of the votes cast.
In Australia, Lula received 64.9% of 5,283 total votes counted, while Bolsonaro managed 24.8%. The voting tallies showed Lula overwhelmingly winning in Portugal with 26,401 votes compared to Bolsonaro’s 19,412. Additional results indicated favorable outcomes for Lula in several countries across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Bolsonaro’s Wins
Conversely, Flavio Bolsonaro managed to secure victory in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, winning 105 ballots, which accounted for 43% of the votes, compared to Lula’s 99 votes (40.6%). In addition to Hong Kong, Bolsonaro also won in Qatar, the UAE, the Philippines, Greece, Israel, Japan, and Thailand.
Over 158 million Brazilians were registered to vote, and the overseas results represent only the presidential ballots, distinct from the domestic state and congressional elections. Voting in China concluded at 6:00 A.M. in Brasília, providing an early insight into the election trends.
The overseas voting results reflect the polarized nature of the Brazilian electoral landscape, where Lula received substantial support from China, New Zealand, and Australia, while Bolsonaro maintained traction in various parts of the Middle and East Asia. Polling stations in Brazil closed after a day described by officials as orderly, and the completion of domestic vote counts will determine if a runoff election will be necessary on October 25.
