Brazil kicks off free campaign ads ahead of tight October vote

Brazil’s top presidential candidates, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro, began their free television and radio campaign advertisements on Friday. Incumbent President Lula, seeking a fourth nonconsecutive term, is currently polling neck and neck with Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Experts note that despite the rise of social media, these traditional broadcasts remain fundamental in shaping public discourse and reaching voters in remote areas of the country. Independent political consultant Thomas Traumann expects the campaign to be even more belligerent than the 2022 election. In Brazil, airtime is provided free of charge and distributed based on the size of a candidate's coalition and their party's representation in the lower house. Lula and his allies have been allocated 5 minutes and 31 seconds of daily airtime, while Flávio Bolsonaro’s party has 4 minutes and 20 seconds. Analysts suggest this disparity highlights Bolsonaro’s struggle to unite major parties behind his candidacy. The first round of voting is scheduled for October 4, with a potential runoff on October 25, where airtime would be divided equally between the two remaining candidates.