Voting Ends in Peru’s Presidential, Parliamentary Election

(MENAFN) Polls closed across Peru on Sunday evening in a presidential and parliamentary election severely disrupted by logistical failures — with a June runoff now appearing all but inevitable given unprecedented fragmentation among the candidates.

Voting was officially extended until 6 pm local time (2300 GMT), a full hour beyond the originally scheduled closing time. The National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) authorized the extension after widespread delays left thousands of voters unable to cast their ballots within the original window.

The troubles began early. Although polling stations were set to open at 7 am, many locations — particularly across the capital Lima — did not begin operating until up to three hours later, hampered by the late delivery of electoral materials and a significant shortage of volunteer poll workers. The disruptions ignited immediate criticism and allegations of irregularities from various sectors.

Authorities moved to contain the fallout, extending voting hours for the roughly 27 million eligible Peruvians and announcing that citizens who still could not vote before the new deadline would be exempt from the fines typically imposed for failing to participate.

Millions ultimately turned out to elect both a new president and members of a newly restructured bicameral Congress — a return to a two-chamber legislative system aimed at bolstering long-term governance and political stability. The contest featured a record-breaking 35 presidential candidates, producing extreme fragmentation with no clear frontrunner emerging throughout the campaign.

Current projections reinforce just how splintered the race remains: the top seven candidates are separated by razor-thin margins, with none expected to surpass 15% of the total vote. That near-certain outcome makes a runoff election on June 7 virtually unavoidable, as reaching the 50% threshold required for an outright first-round victory is beyond any contender's realistic reach.

Election officials projected Sunday evening that approximately 60% of ballots would be processed by midnight, with presidential results taking priority in the count.

MENAFN13042026000045017169ID1110973606