Brazil votes in high-stakes election as U.S.-China rivalry and debt loom large

Brazil will hold a knife-edge vote on Sunday as its presidential race kicks off — but the election's outcome is likely to be felt far beyond the country's borders. Voters will head to the polls to decide whether incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — known colloquially as Lula — should remain in office or be replaced by one of 12 alternative candidates. If no ​candidate wins more than 50% of votes ​in Sunday's first round, the two candidates with the most support ⁠will progress to a final runoff vote on Oct. 25. Polls point to a tight race, with frontrunners Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro effectively tied for support among voters.