Flávio Bolsonaro Launches 'Useful Vote' Campaign Ahead of First Round

With the presidential election scheduled for October 4, the race between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro is tightening, and the senator's campaign is intensifying its search for the "useful vote." The strategy gained prominence in recent weeks, especially after the release of the Datafolha poll, which indicates that Lula has 43% of valid votes and Flávio, 39%.

Datafolha Poll Shows Margin for 'Useful Vote'

According to the survey released on September 17, the probability of a first-round victory is still remote, as a candidate needs to surpass 50% of valid votes. Lula would be just over seven points short of the mark, while Flávio would need eleven points. The two-percentage-point margin of error allows Lula to reach up to 45% and Flávio, up to 41%.

Flávio Focuses on Right-Wing Electorate

The PL candidate has begun to focus his campaign on the Southeast and direct his discourse to voters of Augusto Cury (Avante), Ronaldo Caiado (PSD), Renan Santos (Missão), and Romeu Zema (Novo). In a statement in Vitória da Conquista, he asked those who intend to vote for these names to consider voting for Flávio in the first round to "resolve it quickly."

Economic Proposals to Reduce Cost of Living

The campaign's economic team presented measures such as tax reductions on energy and fuel, a review of tax reform to lower the VAT rate, and investments in logistics and fertilizers to reduce food prices. The intention to renegotiate the debts of over 100 million Brazilians was also announced, using federal assets to improve the financial capacity of those in debt.

Communication Strategy and Absence of Direct Attacks

Flávio avoids directly attacking his right-wing competitors, preferring to present himself as the best alternative to defeat the president. His discourse associates inflation, interest rates, and indebtedness with the Lula administration, while highlighting fiscal responsibility and public accounts control as priorities.

Developments in Second-Round Polls

In a second-round simulation released by Quaest, Flávio appears ten points ahead of Lula among voters earning two to five minimum wages (46% to 36%). In the first round, the poll indicates Lula with 36% and Flávio with 31%, while Cury, Caiado, and Renan register 7% and 4% each, and Zema totals 1%.

With information from VEJA, O GLOBO.