SAO PAULO, March 7 (Reuters) – A second-round runoff between Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro would result in a technical tie, according to a Datafolha poll released on Saturday.
The poll shows that if the runoff were held today, Lula would receive 46% of the vote, compared with 43% for Flavio, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
If Lula were to face off against Tarcisio de Freitas, governor of the state of Sao Paulo, 45% of respondents said they would vote for Lula in the second round, while 42% would vote for de Freitas, also a technical tie.
Brazil’s general election is scheduled for October 4. If no presidential candidate receives a majority of the vote, the two candidates with the most votes will face off in a runoff on October 25.
According to the survey, Lula, 80, who will be vying for his fourth presidential term, leads in all first‑round scenarios. However, Flavio’s candidacy has gained strength since his name was put forward in December by Jair Bolsonaro, who is in jail.
Lula and Flavio, 44, also have the highest rejection rates in the poll. Some 46% of respondents said they would not vote for Lula under any circumstances, while 45% said the same about Flavio – another technical tie.
Datafolha interviewed 2,004 voters from Tuesday to Thursday in 137 municipalities. The survey has a margin of error of two percentage points in either direction.
(Reporting by Leticia Fucuchima; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Rod Nickel)
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