RIO DE JANEIRO, October 4. /TASS/. Voting in Brazil’s presidential election has begun. Polling stations opened on Sunday at 8:00 a.m. Brasilia time (2:00 p.m. Moscow time) and will close to voters at 5:00 p.m. (11:00 p.m. Moscow time). As in the previous election, voting is taking place simultaneously across the country. Thus, polling stations opened at 6:00 a.m. in the western part of Amazonas state and neighboring Acre, and at 7:00 a.m. in several other western states.

Brazilians will elect not only the country’s president for the next four years but also state governors, all members of the Chamber of Deputies, one-third of the Federal Senate, and members of state legislatures. The country’s Superior Electoral Court, which performs the functions of a central election commission, has registered 12 presidential candidates, while more than 158 mln Brazilians are eligible to vote.

The main presidential contest is between incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and right-wing candidate Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. According to the latest opinion polls, the two politicians are neck and neck, with each receiving 45-48% support in a potential runoff, while pollsters consider a first-round victory by either candidate unlikely.

The first preliminary results will begin to be released shortly after polling stations close. Thanks to Brazil’s electronic voting system, the final vote count is usually completed within a few hours. If none of the candidates for executive office receives more than 50% of valid votes, a runoff will be held on October 25.