Current President Dilma Rousseff and Socialist Party candidate Marina Silva are the frontrunners in Brazil’s upcoming presidential election. A recent poll shows Rousseff is in the lead, with 40 percent of voter support.

Silva’s support has slipped to less than 30 percent. If one of the candidates does not get half of vote, a runoff election will be set for late October.

Inflation is among the many pressing issues facing the country’s next president. however, the candidates also have to worry about spending in order to win supporters.

About $2 billion were spent for the 2010 general elections, which covered candidates for president as well as state governors and representatives. This year, presidential candidates alone are expected to spend more than $400 million.

There is much concern in Brazilian society about the conflicts of interest created by corporations and other interest groups that make large donations to politicians. Brazil’s Supreme Court has just ruled that companies cannot give money to political campaigns. The court did not make the decision in time for the coming elections, it is not yet clear when it will be enforced.

CCTV America’s Paulo Cabral reports.

Follow Paulo Cabral on Twitter @paulonumundo

For more on Brazil’s election, Juan Carlos Hidalgo joined Biz Asia America. He is a Latin America policy analyst at the CATO Institute in Washington.

Follow Juan Carlos Hidalgo on Twitter @jchidalgo