The rejection vote marks Brazil’s presidential election
Extreme polarization between supporters of the leftist President Lula and the far-right candidate Flávio Bolsonaro will lead many voters to choose whoever they feel is the lesser evil, regardless of qualifications
Brazil is in the final stretch of a tightly contested presidential election, but the campaign is almost absent from the streets of São Paulo, the country’s most populous city. On Paulista Avenue, only a few small banners with candidates’ photos remind people of this Sunday’s ballot, to which nearly 159 million Brazilians are summoned. Framed by towering office blocks, Paulistanos walk among street vendors, offices, shopping and cultural centers and show an enthusiasm for the spring day that vanishes when the conversation turns to the vote. Fewer people passionately defend their own candidate’s platform than those who want to stop the one they despise from winning.