Brazil holds a presidential election today. Former leftist candidate Lula (third from right) leads the polls before the election and is expected to be directly elected in the first round. Some people worry that the current right-wing President Jair Bolsona (first from left) will not accept the election results.

[Central News Agency] Brazil held a presidential election today, and the leftist presidential candidate Lula, who was leading in the polls before the election, is expected to be directly elected in the first round. It is worrying that the incumbent right-wing President Jair Bolsona will not accept the election results.

Agence France-Presse reported that polling booths in various places opened at 8 a.m. and were expected to close at 4 p.m. Voters who came to vote early were dressed in red representing Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's Workers' Party. Someone wore the green and yellow of the Brazilian flag that Jair Bolsonaro claimed to represent him.

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In the capital Brasilia, Aldeyze dos Santos, a 40-year-old housewife, told AFP: "I am a Christian. I only vote for candidates who support biblical content, so I vote for Bolsonaro."

"I hate Bolsonaro," said retired psychologist Katia Ferrari, 67, in Rio de Janeiro.

"When Lula was in power, everything was better, whether he stole or not, everyone stole it," she said, referring to Lula's controversial conviction for corruption, which was later dismissed.

Lula, a two-term president, has 50 percent of the valid votes, ahead of Bolsonaro's 36 percent, according to polling agency Datafolha's last poll before yesterday's election.

The presidential election has left Brazil deeply divided.

In casting his holy vote today, Lula said he was running to get the country back on track.

The far-right Bolsonaro has been in power for four years.

"We don't want more hatred, more division. We want a peaceful country," said Lula, 76.

"This country needs to restore the right to be happy," said Lula, who was president from 2003 to 2010.

"Clean elections must be respected," Bolsonaro, who is seeking re-election, said on the ballot today.

Bolsonaro has repeatedly accused Brazil of having problems with the voting system without presenting evidence.

When asked by the media whether he would respect the election results if he lost the election, he did not answer directly, only expressing his confidence that he would win.

Despite polls showing rival Lula leading by double digits.