President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva swept the overseas vote in Brazil’s general election on Sunday, carrying mainland China and most stations across Asia, Europe, and Oceania, while his far-right candidate Flavio Bolsonaro prevailed in Hong Kong and a handful of other cities.

Thousands of Brazilians living abroad cast ballots on Sunday in the country’s general election, voting at embassies and consulates in an orderly atmosphere with high turnout.

Unlike Brazilians at home, those abroad can only vote for president. Congressional and state-level races are not on their ballots.

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Brazilian President Lula da Silva, of the Workers’ Party (PT), captured 65.7% of ballots cast by Brazilian voters registered in mainland China, which excludes Hong Kong, once voting closed at 5:00 P.M. local time on Sunday. Bolsonaro finished with 24% of the valid votes.

It marked the first time a Workers’ Party candidate won every polling station on the Chinese mainland. In 2018, Jair Bolsonaro carried the Asian country, and in 2022 Lula won Shanghai and Beijing but lost Canton.

The Brazilian President’s strongest showing came in Beijing, where he took 77.6% against 16.4% for his rival. In Shanghai, Lula recorded 63.7% to Bolsonaro’s 22.5%. In Guangdong, the margin narrowed to 52.2% versus 38%.

Across the wider region, Lula also led the vote in New Zealand, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia. In New Zealand, the Workers’ Party candidate received 73.4% of valid votes against 15.8% for Bolsonaro. In South Korea, Lula took 56.9% and his opponent 33.3%.

Australia, with 26 of 29 polling stations counted, gave Lula 5,283 votes, or 64.9%, against 2,022 votes, or 24.8%, for Bolsonaro. In Singapore, Lula drew 190 votes and Bolsonaro 92, from a total of 348 ballots. In Malaysia, the incumbent obtained 44 votes against 27 for Bolsonaro, out of 83 cast.

Lula also dominated in Portugal, winning 26,401 votes to Bolsonaro’s 19,412. Unofficial tallies published by the press showed the president leading as well in Germany, Angola, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Egypt, Estonia, France, Finland, Hungary, Kuwait, Lebanon, Norway, the Netherlands, Palestine, Romania, Syria, Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Türkiye.

Bolsonaro Wins Hong Kong

In the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Flavio Bolsonaro (PL) edged Lula by six votes, taking 105 ballots, or 43%, against 99, or 40.6%.

The far-right senator, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, also carried Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, Greece, Israel, Japan, Mozambique, Thailand, and Taiwan.

More than 158 million Brazilians were registered to vote in Sunday’s first round. The overseas tally covers only the presidential ballot, separate from the state and congressional contests on the domestic ballot. Voting in China closed at 6:00 A.M. Sunday in Brasilia, offering one of the earliest official looks at the race.

The overseas returns reinforce a contest defined by deep polarization. Lula drew his strongest support in China, New Zealand, and Australia, while Bolsonaro held firm in parts of the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and East Asia.

Back in Brazil, polling stations closed after a day of heavy turnout and what officials described as complete normality. The full domestic count will determine whether either candidate reaches the threshold required to avoid a runoff expected for October 25 in the case that no candidate obtains 50+1% of the valid votes.

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