Campaign coordinators for both candidates traded accusations of election interference after Zanin's order arrived minutes past the original 5 p.m. deadline, applying only to unsealed electronic voting machines because locked terminals cannot be reopened. Outside Bolsonaro's headquarters, ally Pablo Marçal questioned why any precincts remained unsealed past 5 p.m. and why all 5,569 Brazilian cities were held up when the two campaigns had requested extensions for a combined 19 cities over storms and transit issues. Critics also noted that Zanin served as Lula's personal attorney before Lula appointed him to the court, while Lula supporters argued Zanin stepped in only after electoral court chief Kassio Nunes Marques, a Bolsonaro appointee, failed to rule before 5 p.m.
Both sides had petitioned to extend voting after severe flooding and municipal bus disruptions in cities including São Paulo and Salvador. In Salvador, Mayor Bruno Reis said at least 75 buses were held back after operators refused to drive vehicles covered in illegal Workers' Party campaign stickers, whereas Bahia's electoral court had ordered the arrest of the city's mobility secretary for withholding buses. On Kalshi, Bolsonaro's implied win probability initially slipped from 79% to 66% when Zanin's extension was announced while the Hyperliquid Brazil ETF perpetual fell from above $46 to $44.84, before prediction markets flipped to favor Lula as the delayed count progressed.