Peru election drags into second day after ballot delivery fiasco

Technical and logistical problems mean Peruvians choosing a new president and members of Congress continue to vote on Monday.

Peruvian voters will have to wait until at least Monday to learn the outcome of Sunday’s presidential election after the process was mired with logistical issues that even left thousands of people in the country and abroad unable to cast ballots. The problems prompted electoral authorities to allow more than 52,000 residents of Peru’s capital, Lima, to vote on Monday. The extension, announced after vote counting began Sunday evening, also covers Peruvians registered to vote ... . Authorities initially reported 63,300 people could vote Monday but later revised down the figure. Voting is mandatory for Peruvians ... . A former minister, a comedian, and a political heiress are among 35 ... ’s ninth president in just 10 ... .

Thousands of Peruvians are back at the polls for a second day of voting. Electoral authorities extended the election by a day after failing to deliver ballots to voting centers on Sunday.

Peruvian voters will now have to wait at least one additional day to learn the results of the country’s presidential elections due to an issue authorities said was logistical, which left thousands of people unable to vote on Sunday. The problems prompted electoral authorities to allow more than 52,000 residents of Peru’s capital, Lima, to vote on Monday. The extension, announced after vote counting began on Sunday evening, also covers Peruvians registered to vote in the US cities of Orlando, Florida, and Paterson, New Jersey. The election comes amid a surge in violent crime and corruption that has fueled widespread discontent among voters, who largely view candidates as dishonest and unprepared ... A former minister, a comedian, and a political heiress are among 35 ... ’s ninth president in just 10 ... . Many of the contenders have ... mega-prisons, restricting food for prisoners, and reinstating the death penalty ... .

More than 10,000 polling centers closed in Peru on Sunday after a ten-hour voting day disrupted by logistical failures that forced authorities to extend the schedule by one hour, to 6:00 p.m. local time. The National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) reported that 99.8% of polling stations were installed, but 15 voting centers in Lima — containing 211 stations — could not be set up, leaving 63,300 voters unable to cast ballots. The problems originated with the contractor Servicios Generales Galaga, hired to distribute electoral materials across metropolitan Lima. According to ONPE, the company failed to deliver ballot forms, computer equipment, and other supplies on time. Some polling sites in the capital opened up to five hours late, producing long lines and widespread frustration, particularly in Lima's southern districts. Roughly 27 million Peruvians were eligible to vote in elections for president, two vice presidents, 60 senators, 130 members of the lower house, and five representatives to the Andean Parliament. The official count is expected to be slow: ONPE announced it would not hold a public results presentation on election night, instead updating figures progressively through its digital platform. The first exit polls, released at the close of voting by pollsters Ipsos and Datum, agree in placing conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori in first place. Ipsos, based on 15,000 interviews, gives her 16.6% of the vote, followed by leftist Roberto Sánchez at 12.1%, Ricardo Belmont at 11.8%, ultraconservative Rafael López Aliaga at 11%, and center-right Jorge Nieto at 10.7%. Datum produced similar figures: Fujimori at 16.5%, López Aliaga at 12.8%, Nieto at 11.6%, and Belmont at 10.5%. The gap between the four candidates vying for second place falls within the margin of error in both surveys, leaving the night's central question unresolved: who will face Fujimori in the runoff scheduled for June 7. If her passage to the second round is confirmed, it would mark the fourth consecutive time the Fuerza Popular leader has reached a presidential runoff. The extreme fragmentation of the vote — with 35 candidates on the ballot and none above 17% in exit polls — reflects the political volatility that has defined Peru over the past decade, according to CNN. Following the close of polls, Fujimori called for voting to be extended or for a supplementary session on Monday for those unable to cast their ballots. López Aliaga sharply criticized the head of ONPE over the logistical failures. Official preliminary results are expected to be published gradually in the coming hours.

Peru's general election was delayed into a second day due to technical and logistical issues at polling stations, with over 50,000 voters granted an additional day to vote.

Thousands of Peruvians were back at the polls on Monday for a second day of voting after failure to deliver ballots to voting centers extended Sunday’s election by a day.

Peru's national election extended into a second day after ballot delivery failures on Sunday forced authorities to allow additional voting on Monday. Over 52,000 voters in Lima and Peruvians living in Orlando, Florida, and Paterson, New Jersey, were granted the extension. Voting is mandatory in Peru for citizens aged 18 to 70, with noncompliance resulting in fines up to $32. The election sees 35 presidential candidates, including a former minister, a comedian, and a political dynasty heiress, vying for leadership amid a backdrop of rising crime and corruption. Citizens have expressed deep mistrust of political figures, urging thoughtful decision-making. More than 27 million people are registered to vote, including 1.2 million abroad. A runoff is expected in June due to the fragmented vote. This election also marks the selection of a bicameral Congress for the first time in over 30 years, with new legislative reforms increasing the power of the upper chamber.

Thousands of Peruvians were back at ... Sunday’s election by a day.