Ballot counting in Brazil’s presidential runoff resumed Sunday following a two-hour extension of voting hours ordered by the country’s Supreme Court. The extension was implemented as polls officially closed, with candidates Flávio Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva awaiting the final results of the election.
The decision to extend voting stemmed from logistical disruptions, specifically issues with public transportation. The local electoral court ordered the immediate restoration of 100% of the bus fleet to ensure voters could reach polling stations. In response to the transport failures, the court also issued an arrest warrant for municipal transport secretary Pablo Souza, citing suspicion of an electoral offence and disobedience of court orders.
Authorities were unable to execute the arrest warrant immediately because Souza is currently in Paris. The city government described his presence in the French capital as an “official mission,” and he is not expected to return to Brazil until Monday.
Separately, Flávio Bolsonaro filed requests late in the afternoon to extend voting by an additional two hours in cities within the states of São Paulo, Paraná, and Santa Catarina. Bolsonaro attributed the need for further time to heavy rain, which he claimed prevented voters from turning out to cast their ballots.
<small>Source: The Guardian — read the original story there.</small>