Record, one of Brazil's largest television networks, cancelled on Wednesday, September 23, the presidential debate it had scheduled for Sunday (27), at 9 p.m., one week before the first round of the election on October 4. The network said it made the decision after the campaigns of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the Workers' Party and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the PL candidate and eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, informed that the two men would not attend, according to the news site Poder360.

In a statement, Record said the two candidates each poll above 35% of voting intentions in recent surveys, together about 70%. The network explained the cancellation this way:

"The network understands that a debate days before the first round has the function of putting face to face the main proposals in dispute. Without the participation of the candidates who concentrate most voting intentions, the program would not fulfill that objective and would not offer voters the clash of ideas they expect."

The column Outro Canal, of the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, reported that Record will keep its normal programming in the slot. The network said it will continue its election coverage on free-to-air TV, on the news site R7.com, on Record News, on RecordPlus and on its digital platforms.

Lula has not taken part in any debate so far in this campaign. Flávio Bolsonaro said on August 11 that he would only attend the events if the president did, according to Poder360.

Voters go to the polls on October 4. If no candidate wins a majority of valid votes and the race goes to a runoff, Record has already set the date for its debate: October 11, a Sunday, at 9 p.m.