The second round of the presidential elections in Peru ended in an extremely contested race and a statistical tie between the two main candidates.
Due to the minimal difference in votes, which according to preliminary data is less than 1%, the official confirmation of the final winner is expected to take days or even weeks.
Voters in Peru had to choose between two radically opposite political and economic visions for the country. Keiko Fujimori - a representative of the conservative right and leader of the party “Popular Force“ (Fuerza Popular) is the daughter of the late former president Alberto Fujimori and is participating in the runoff for the fourth time. Her campaign focused on a tough policy of law and order in the fight against crime.
Roberto Sánchez - a leftist member of the coalition "Together for Peru" (Juntos por el Perú) - is a former minister in the administration of imprisoned former president Pedro Castillo. His campaign focused on social inequality, support for poor rural areas and the convening of a constitutional assembly.
The latest Ipsos polls before the vote showed a minimal difference within the margin of statistical error - 43.8% support for Sanchez against 43.2% for Fujimori.
After the organizational chaos and delays during the first round in April, the National Electoral Commission (JNE) and the ONPE office increased controls and the presence of observers to prevent new allegations of fraud.
Since Peruvian law requires the winner to collect more than 50% of the valid votes, the official count will include the review of contested ballots and the processing of votes from abroad. The new head of state is due to take office on July 28, 2026, and will have to govern with a fragmented parliament, where no party has an outright majority.
No official final results have been announced yet, but the first preliminary exit polls (boca de urna) confirm expectations of a dramatic tie. The Ipsos Perú announced a statistical tie between the two candidates, with the difference being less than one percent and entirely within the statistical error.
Due to this minimal difference, neither headquarters can claim a clear victory at this stage, and the situation repeats the scenario of the 2021 elections, when Keiko Fujimori lost by just 0.2% (around 45,000 votes).First data from the National Electoral Office (ONPE)The National Electoral Office (ONPE) is beginning the phased publication of the first processed protocols.
The official count will continue for days, as each contested election protocol (will have to be examined individually by the electoral tribunal