Lima, Peru — Experts from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), who observed elections in Peru yesterday, urged all sides to be patient and avoid claims of electoral fraud as vote tallying continues and extended voting takes place in some areas of Lima. Electoral authorities are allowing voting today in places where polling places never opened yesterday due to logistical problems. 

“To avoid political and social instability and the further deepening of popular distrust in the integrity of these elections — and the risk of potential acts of violence — it is essential that political actors, inside and outside of Peru, refrain from making unfounded fraud allegations or claiming victory until all votes are counted,” said Francesca Emanuele, CEPR Senior International Policy Associate and member of CEPR’s observation team in Lima. 

Peruvians went to the polls to elect a president and vice president, 60 senators, 130 deputies, and 5 representatives to the Andean Parliament. The race was defined by an exceptionally fragmented electoral landscape, with voters choosing from a record-breaking 35 presidential candidates, none of whom appear to have widespread support, and from legislative candidates belonging to 39 parties.

The vote was marked by logistical disruptions that, while now largely resolved, risk fueling voter distrust as well as unfounded fraud allegations by losing candidates. Early results of the presidential election strongly suggest that Keiko Fujimori of the Fuerza Popular party — and daughter of late Peruvian dictator Alberto Fujimori — is poised to advance to the second round, albeit with less than 20 percent of the vote. The runner-up, who will advance with her to a second-round election in June, remains uncertain given the tight margins separating several candidates. 

As of 3:00 p.m. (Peru Standard Time), only 56 percent of votes have been tallied. A clearer picture will only emerge once votes from rural regions and areas outside Lima are counted. These votes, which tend historically to oppose more right-wing candidates, are typically counted later in the tabulation process. Current exit polls suggest a statistical tie among as many as four candidates for second place.

One possible scenario is that far-right candidate Rafael López Aliaga from Renovacion Popular party — who currently has 14.3 percent of the vote — could advance to the runoff — a prospect that Keiko Fujimori prematurely asserted would occur while reiterating that “the enemy is the left.”

Roberto Sánchez, leader of the Juntos por el Perú party, may also have a shot at the runner-up position though he has only garnered 8.2 percent of the vote as of 3:00 p.m. (Peru Standard Time). A left-leaning candidate, Sánchez is endorsed by former President Pedro Castillo, who is currently imprisoned following his attempt to illegally dissolve Congress and rule by decree in 2022. Sánchez is believed to draw relatively strong support from the Andean regions — areas that saw massive (and brutally repressed) protests in support of Castillo in 2022 and where it is expected that a large number of votes will be counted later in the process. 

Other contenders with a chance at the runoff include centrist politician Jorge Nieto of the Nuevo Buen Gobierno party and Ricardo Belmont, an 80 year-old political veteran running for the Obras party who, though he is associated with Castillo, has held right-wing positions.

Election day was characterized by significant delays in the delivery of electoral materials, a task managed by a private transport company contracted by the electoral authorities. As a result, many polling stations opened three to four hours after the scheduled start time, while others (over 200 in the Lima area) were unable to open at all. CEPR’s observers noted these logistical problems at multiple voting centers in the Lima area. 

Although there is as yet no evidence yet that the delays constitute electoral fraud, several candidates have leveraged the logistical issues to make such claims, which risks overshadowing the electoral process.

“We witnessed long lines, frustrated voters, and overwhelmed electoral staff. While the election’s delays are more likely the result of human error than deliberate actions, such disruptions do little to dispel the already emerging fraud allegations and instead risk deepening public mistrust,” said Pedro Labayen Herrera, a member of CEPR’s international electoral observation mission and Research Associate at CEPR.

CEPR deployed an accredited election observation mission to Lima, Peru, which has been on the ground monitoring the electoral process since April 8 and will remain through April 18. The mission will return for the runoff scheduled for June 7.

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