Dead heat for 2nd place in Peru as vote count hits 90%

Peru is locked in a high-stakes “photo finish” for the second spot in the presidential runoff, with official results showing an extremely narrow margin as vote counting reaches 90.9%.

With nearly all ballots processed, the National Office of Electoral Processes confirmed Keiko Fujimori of Fuerza Popular as the clear frontrunner with 16.99% of the vote.

However, the race for second place remains undecided, with leftist candidate Roberto Sanchez of Juntos por el Peru holding a razor-thin lead at 12.05%, followed closely by Renovacion Popular’s Rafael Lopez Aliaga at 11.88%.

The two candidates are separated by fewer than 25,000 votes, keeping the contest highly uncertain.

Sanchez, a former minister under detained ex-president Pedro Castillo, has gained momentum late in the count after initially placing fifth in early projections. His campaign has centered on a nationalist platform advocating the “refounding of the homeland” and defending Castillo’s legacy.

“The time has come for a sovereign and just homeland built from the foundations of the Peruvian people,” Sanchez said, framing his bid as a challenge to the Lima-based political establishment.

Lopez Aliaga has rejected the results, staging a sit-in protest outside the National Elections Board in Lima and alleging irregularities during voting.

“I give you 24 hours to declare this electoral fraud null and void,” Lopez Aliaga told supporters on Wednesday. “If it is not declared null tomorrow, I will call for nationwide protests.”

Despite the claims, the European Union election observer mission said it found no evidence supporting allegations of fraud, while acknowledging logistical problems during the vote.

Election officials said 4,250 ballots, about 4.5% of the total, remain under review by special boards due to objections, a process that could still influence the final outcome.

Sunday’s election faced significant disruptions, including delayed ballot distribution in several areas of Lima that temporarily prevented about 52,000 people from voting. Authorities reopened polling stations on Monday to accommodate affected voters.

The winner of the June 7 runoff will face a newly reestablished bicameral Congress in July, marking a major institutional shift in Peru, which will adopt a two-chamber legislature for the first time since 1990.