Brazilian incumbent Dilma Rousseff has won most votes in the country's presidential election, but has fallen short of outright victory.
She received about 42% of the vote and faces a run-off against centre-right rival Aecio Neves, who got 34%.
Analysts now predict a potentially tight second round on 26 October.
Ms Rousseff said people had expressed their rejection of "the ghosts of the past, recession and unemployment", and vowed to continue to work for change.
The Socialist Party candidate, prominent environmentalist Marina Silva, finished third with 21%, and is out of the race.
Mr Neves called on Ms Silva's supporters to back him, saying he represented "hope for change".
Ms Silva said she and other Socialist leaders would meet in the coming days to discuss any endorsements for the run-off.
More than 142 million people were eligible to vote on Sunday. Turnout was 80%. Voting is mandatory for those aged between 18 and 70.
Brazilians also elected members of congress and regional governors on Sunday.
Corruption scandals
Early in the campaign, incumbent Ms Rousseff - from the left-wing Workers' Party (PT) - had been expected to win outright.
However, the death in an air crash of Socialist Party candidate Eduardo Campos had a major effect on the race when he was replaced with Ms Silva.
Last month she was riding high in opinion polls and appeared likely to reach a second round. However her popularity later slipped.
The election results have surprised many in Brazil
In the end, most people voted for traditional parties - the PT and Mr Neves' Social Democrats (PSDB). She adds that the main issue now is who can be trusted to revive the economy.
During Ms Rousseff's tenure as president, unemployment has been lower than under any of her predecessors, at about 5%. The minimum wage has risen and the number of undernourished Brazilians has been falling.
But the past 18 months have been marred by recession and corruption scandals, and protests over poor public services and the World Cup costs.
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