Peru election: 100% of votes processed, 1,550 ballots remain disputed

Peru's electoral authority, ONPE, has completed the processing of all vote tallies, confirming a razor-thin technical tie in the presidential election. With 98.32% of the vote counted, right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori leads leftist Roberto Sánchez by a mere 4,310 votes, securing 50.012% to Sánchez's 49.988%.

Fujimori, daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori, garnered strong support in Lima, coastal areas, and abroad. Sánchez, representing former president Pedro Castillo's political movement, found his base in the central and southern regions of the country. The remaining votes to be finalized come from nine pending tallies originating from the Amazonian region of Loreto, bordering Brazil.

The election's outcome now rests on the resolution of 1,556 disputed, observed, or materially erroneous ballots, which will be handled by special electoral juries (JEE). This process may involve a meticulous review, and potentially a vote-by-vote recount, meaning the final certified results could take several more days.

Roberto Sánchez has called for a joint review of the entire electoral process with Fujimori, citing potential irregularities in areas where his party claims transparency was lacking. Conversely, Fujimori's vice-presidential candidate, Luis Galarreta, rejected the proposal, emphasizing the need to respect the established legal framework and the procedures of electoral institutions. Galarreta stated that recounts are not arbitrary and must follow legal guidelines, noting that the JEE are already reviewing observed ballots.