Peru's electoral authorities warn of lack of budget for municipal elections

Peru's top electoral officials have issued a stark warning about a critical lack of funding for the municipal and regional elections scheduled for October 4. With just 88 days remaining until the vote, a significant budget deficit of 589.52 million soles (about $173.4 million USD) threatens the organization of the polls.

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the situation is 'very worrying'

Roberto Burneo, president of the Jurado Nacional de Elecciones (JNE), described the situation as "very worrying." He explained that efforts to secure the necessary financial resources have been ongoing since November, but the current shortfall jeopardizes the entire electoral process. If the funds are not provided, Burneo stated, authorities may be compelled to consider extending the mandates of the incumbent regional and municipal authorities, as the electoral process cannot proceed without adequate financing.

Burneo emphasized the immense challenge these elections pose to Peru's electoral system, calling it "the greatest challenge for the electoral system in history." He stressed the state's fundamental responsibility to ensure the proper organization of elections. The JNE itself requires 103.51 million soles, with a crucial portion of 75 million soles to be debated in Congress soon. Meanwhile, the Oficina Nacional de Procesos Electorales (ONPE), responsible for managing the voting and vote counting, needs 433 million soles but has only been allocated 250 million soles.

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these elections 'represent the greatest challenge for the electoral system in history'

Adding to the financial strain, the Registro Nacional de Identificación y Estado Civil (Reniec), which handles voter registration and identification, requires an additional 52.8 million soles. These elections are set to conclude a busy electoral year in Peru, which began with presidential and legislative contests in April and concluded with a presidential runoff in June.

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it is 'essential that the State can fulfill one of its fundamental responsibilities, which is to organize the electoral process properly'.