Brazilians vote in tense local elections

RIO DE JANEIRO — 

Brazilians began voting successful the archetypal circular of section elections Sunday for mayors, lawman mayors and councilors successful the country’s 5,569 municipalities.

In Sao Paulo, 3 mayoral candidates are moving neck-and-neck, including incumbent Ricardo Nunes, left-wing lawmaker Guilherme Boulos and self-help guru turned far-right person Pablo Marçal. A runoff is scheduled for Oct. 27.

Much of the attraction starring up to Sunday’s ballot has been connected Brazil’s biggest city, wherever the contention has been marred by episodes of unit involving Marçal.

Last month, José Luiz Datena, a erstwhile TV presenter turned candidate, slammed Marçal with a metallic seat during a televised statement pursuing references to allegations of intersexual misconduct. In a aboriginal debate, an adjutant to Marçal thumped an adversary’s counterpart, resulting successful a bloody face.

Marçal sparked much contention Friday, erstwhile helium published connected societal media a falsified aesculapian study indicating cocaine usage by Boulos. The papers was wide debunked by section media that pointed to inconsistencies including the information that it was signed by a doc who had passed away.

Boulos, a longtime campaigner for lodging rights who is backed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva vehemently denied the veracity of the document. On Saturday, a justice sitting connected Sao Paulo’s electoral tribunal ordered the suspension of Marçal’s Instagram relationship for 48 hours and deemed that determination are “indications of assorted offenses nether the Electoral Code.”

Some of erstwhile President Jair Bolsonaro ’s governmental basal has been drawn to Marçal, enthralled by his fiery rhetoric, though the far-right person is supporting Nunes.

In Rio de Janeiro, incumbent Eduardo Paes is hoping to debar a second-round runoff. Polls indicated until precocious that was possible. But his main challenger Alexandre Ramagem has steadily climbed successful the polls successful caller weeks, rendering the result of Sunday’s ballot uncertain.

Ramagem, the erstwhile main of Brazil’s quality bureau nether Bolsonaro, is being investigated arsenic portion of a wider probe into alleged spying connected governmental opponents. He has denied the accusations.

Bolsonaro is backing Ramagem, and his ascent successful the polls is wide attributed to the erstwhile president's campaigning connected his behalf.

More than 155 cardinal Brazilians are eligible to vote. Forty-three percent of the electorate is successful the southeastern region, wherever Rio and Sao Paulo are located. Women marque up astir 52% of voters.

Nearly 1,000 transgender politicians are moving Sunday successful each 1 of Brazil’s 26 states, according to the nation’s electoral court, which is tracking them for the archetypal time. The fig of candidacies has tripled since the past section elections 4 years ago, erstwhile trans rights radical Antra mapped them.

Polls opened astatine 8 a.m. Brasilia clip and adjacent astatine 5 p.m. (2000 GMT).

A 2nd circular volition beryllium held successful municipalities with much than 200,000 registered voters if nary of the candidates for politician obtains an implicit majority.