SAO PAULO, March 25 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro are in a technical tie in a simulated run-off, according to an AtlasIntel/Bloomberg poll in which respondents were asked how they would vote in the next elections. The poll showed on Wednesday that Flavio Bolsonaro was leading by just one percentage point.
FIRST ROUND
* Leftist Lula would take approximately 46% of the vote inall of the five simulated first-round scenarios with differentopponents. * Right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro, meanwhile, is seentaking approximately between 36% and 42% in four differentscenarios. * In a February poll, Lula was seen taking between 43% and47% of the vote, while Flavio Bolsonaro had between 33% and 40%.
RUN-OFF
* Flavio Bolsonaro is seen 1 percentage point ahead of Lulain a potential run-off, with 47.6% versus 46.6%, respectively. * The difference is within the poll's margin of error of 1percentage point in either direction. * In a February poll, Lula and the senator were virtuallytied.
ADDITIONAL CONTEXT
* Markets have tracked polls closely since imprisoned formerPresident Jair Bolsonaro's endorsement of his son Flavio sentBrazil's currency and equities sliding in December. * The 80-year-old Lula, who defeated the elder Bolsonaro in2022, will seek a fourth nonconsecutive term as president. * In Brazil, if no candidate gets more than 50% of validvotes, the two frontrunners go to a second-round vote, which hashappened in every election since 2002. * AtlasIntel surveyed 5,028 people between March 18-23. Thepoll has a margin of error of 1 percentage point in eitherdirection.
(Reporting by Eduardo Simoes; Writing by Isabel Teles; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )
