Brazilian are electing a new president

 Some 460,000 voting centers open this Sunday for over 156 million Brazilians eligible to vote who will be choosing the country's next president between ultraconservative incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and left-wing challenger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Besides electing the head of State, they will be voting for governors of the 27 states, members of the national Chamber of Deputies and lawmakers to the legislative assemblies of each of the 27 states. It is also at stake a third of the Senate (27 out of 81 senators) for an eight-year term.

In case none of the candidates running for president gets absolute majority in the first round, there will be a runoff on October 30.

There are other contenders in the presidential race like former Governor and Minister Ciro Gomes and Senator Simone Tebet.

The election takes place at a crucial moment for Brazil, where surging food and fuel prices, coupled with a painful economic slowdown, have made life harder for many Brazilians. Some 33 million people in the country of 217 million are experiencing hunger and extreme poverty has surged, reversing decades of social and economic advances.

Environmental and climate concerns are also looming. Deforestation in the Amazon has hit 15-year highs under the administration of far-right incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro, who believes the rainforest should be opened up to mining, ranching and agriculture and who has weakened environmental protection laws.

The Amazon’s destruction — and its effects on the efforts to avert a climate crisis — has turned Brazil into a global pariah.