Peru’s presidential election was thrown into disarray on Sunday after tens of thousands of voters were unable to cast ballots, forcing electoral authorities to extend voting by a day.
Why it matters: Peru is choosing its ninth president in a decade. The logistical breakdown deepens public distrust in democratic institutions in a country already grappling with surging violent crime and widespread political disillusionment.
What went wrong
The National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) confirmed that roughly 63,000 people were unable to vote on Sunday because polling stations lacked ballot papers, ballot boxes, or other essential materials. ONPE said it would reopen the affected stations on Monday.
The failures affected polling centres across the country, though the worst disruptions were concentrated in rural and peri-urban areas.
Early results
With ballots still being counted, right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori held an early lead with 16.9% of votes tallied. Conservative Rafael López Aliaga followed at 13.9%. An Ipsos exit poll placed left-wing candidate Roberto Sánchez second at 12.1%, ahead of centrist Ricardo Belmont at 11.8%.
A field of 35 candidates, the largest in Peru’s history, has split the vote so widely that no one is expected to clear the 50% threshold required for an outright first-round victory.
What happens next
The two top-finishing candidates will advance to a runoff scheduled for 7 June. If the pattern holds, Fujimori will qualify for her third presidential runoff. She lost narrowly in 2016 and 2021.
The winner will inherit a country where violent crime has surged, public trust in government has collapsed, and six of the last eight presidents have faced criminal charges. Voter turnout is compulsory in Peru, making the logistical failures particularly damaging to public confidence in the process.