Peru completes vote count, awaits resolution of 1,556 disputed ballots

Peru's National Electoral Processes Office (ONPE) has completed the processing of all pending vote tallies, but the presidential election outcome remains uncertain. A technical tie persists between right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori and left-wing candidate Roberto Sánchez, with Fujimori currently holding a slim lead.

With 98.32% of the votes counted, Fujimori has secured 50.012% of the vote, while Sánchez trails with 49.988%. This translates to a razor-thin difference of just 4,310 votes. Fujimori, daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori, garnered significant support in Lima, coastal areas, and abroad. Sánchez, representing former president Pedro Castillo, found strong backing in the central and southern regions of the Andean country.

The ONPE processed the final nine outstanding tallies from a district in the Amazonian region of Loreto. However, the final result now depends on the special electoral juries (JEE) resolving 1,556 ballots that have been challenged, observed, or contain material errors. This process may involve a meticulous review and even a vote-by-vote recount, potentially extending the final tally completion by several days.

Sánchez has proposed a joint request with Fujimori to electoral authorities for a "thorough review of this entire process," citing potential irregularities in certain areas. He suggested that Fujimori's party, Fuerza Popular, aims to invalidate votes from the south, while Sánchez's party claims to have identified issues in Lima and overseas voting. Sánchez believes a joint review would provide citizens with "stability, certainty, and total confidence" in the presidential election results.

Conversely, Luis Galarreta, vice presidential candidate for Fujimori's party, rejected the proposal. He stated that they will respect the legal framework and await the conclusion of the count with prudence. Galarreta emphasized that "democracy is not about doing whatever one wants" but adhering to a legal framework, and that vote recounts cannot be initiated arbitrarily or bypass electoral institutions.

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a thorough review of this entire process