# Brazil Heads to Polls Without Debate

> Brazil's presidential race heads to voting without a single debate between Lula and Bolsonaro.
- Title: Brazil Heads to Polls Without Debate · MercoPress | Shortify
- Summary: Brazil's presidential race heads to voting without a single debate between Lula and Bolsonaro. Brazil's presidential candidates Lula and Bolsonaro skip…
- Keywords: flavio bolsonaro, lula da silva, brazil, presidential election, globo, tse, news, world, politics, Heads, Polls, Without
- Source: MercoPress — https://en.mercopress.com/2026/10/02/brazil-heads-to-the-polls-without-a-single-debate-between-lula-and-flavio-bolsonaro
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: flavio bolsonaro, lula da silva, brazil, presidential election, globo, tse, news, world, politics
## Debate cancellation
Brazilian broadcaster Globo cancelled the last presidential debate scheduled before Sunday's first round.

> successive court decisions taken moments before the debate create legal uncertainty and represent undue interference in the media's freedom to organise debates
## Lula and Bolsonaro absence
Lula and Bolsonaro both declined to attend the debate after court rulings and campaign requests.
## Court rulings
Superior Electoral Court judge Estela Aranha barred Globo from showing Lula's empty lectern.
## Bolsonaro's response
Bolsonaro said he would not attend due to censorship by the TSE and called for clean elections.

> I have just decided not to go to the Globo debate because of the censorship imposed on the event by the TSE. The press must be free and elections must be clean
## Lula's interview
Lula called the debate format fruitless and proposed electoral weight-based debates.

> I like you better than Globo
## Election timing
Lula turns 81 on October 27 and polls show a statistical tie for the runoff.
## Key takeaway

Brazil's presidential candidates Lula and Bolsonaro skip televised debates ahead of October 2nd election.