Key facts
- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's lead over Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has narrowed, according to a Datafolha poll.
- In a simulated runoff, Lula is projected to receive 46% of the vote, while Bolsonaro has 44%.
- This follows a trend seen in other recent polls, with Lula's lead shrinking.
- In a first-round scenario, Lula leads with 39% of the votes, followed by Bolsonaro at 33%.
A Datafolha poll released on Thursday shows that the lead of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva over Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has narrowed ahead of the October election. In a simulated second-round runoff, Lula is projected to receive 46% of the vote, compared to 44% for Bolsonaro. This trend of a narrowing gap follows similar findings in other recent polls.
In a simulated runoff scenario in late August, Lula held a 47% to 43% lead over Bolsonaro. In July, the lead was 48% to 43%. In a first-round scenario, Lula leads with 39% of the votes, followed by Bolsonaro with 33%.
Lula's approval rating has fallen to 47% from 49% in July, while his disapproval rate has risen to 50% from 48%. Senator Bolsonaro's poll numbers reportedly declined after it was revealed in May that he had asked a jailed banker to finance a film about his father. The Datafolha poll surveyed 2,058 people starting on August 18.