Peru Election Too Close to Call as Vote Counting Proceeds

WHO:

ABC News - Keiko Fujimori, conservative politician; Roberto Sánchez, nationalist congressman; Roberto Burneo, chief electoral authority; Pedro Castillo, imprisoned former president.

BBC News - Keiko Fujimori, right-wing candidate; Roberto Sánchez, left-wing candidate.

WHAT:

ABC News - The presidential runoff in Peru has left the country without a clear winner, with Fujimori receiving 8.75 million votes (50.095%) and Sánchez earning 8.73 million votes (49.905%).

ABC News - The winner will be the ninth president of Peru in ten years.

ABC News - Official results from a previous election showed Fujimori received 17% of the vote and Sánchez got 12%.

ABC News - A nationwide poll conducted a week before the election indicated that about 3 in 10 voters were undecided.

ABC News - Voting is mandatory for Peruvians aged 18 to 70, with fines of up to $32 for noncompliance.

ABC News - More than 27 million people are registered to vote, with about 1.2 million expected to cast ballots from abroad.

WHERE:

ABC News - The election is taking place in Peru, with specific mention of the capital, Lima.

ABC News - Ballots and tally sheets must arrive in Lima from 63 countries to be counted.

WHEN:

ABC News - The winner of the runoff will be sworn in to a five-year term on July 28.

WHY:

ABC News - Crime, particularly extortion, was a major concern for voters, with 84% of respondents in a 2025 national survey fearing becoming victims of crime.

ABC News - Experts attribute the increasing power of organized crime in Peru to profits from illegal gold mining.

HOW:

ABC News - The slow counting pace is due to a law requiring each ballot and tally sheet to be taken to one of more than 100 offices for tallying.

ABC News - Fujimori's proposals included implementing technology to track extortion, militarizing borders, and increasing police and military presence in high-risk areas.

ABC News - Sánchez pledged to combat corruption within the police force and promote military support for security efforts.

(UPDATED June 8, 2026 18:01 UTC)

The presidential runoff in Peru has resulted in a tight race, with Keiko Fujimori receiving approximately 8.75 million votes, or just over 50 percent, while Roberto Sánchez garnered about 8.73 million votes, just under 50 percent. The winner will be sworn in on July 28 as the ninth president of Peru in the last decade, amid significant concerns about crime, particularly extortion, which has left 84 percent of voters fearing for their safety. Both candidates have proposed different strategies to address these issues, with Fujimori focusing on technology and increased military presence, while Sánchez aims to tackle corruption within the police force.