Ballot in Peru: the final result could take two weeks or more

With 96% of the minutes scrutinized, Sánchez obtains 50.05% of the votes compared to Fujimori’s 49.94%, a difference of just 20,000 votes.

The scrutiny of Sunday’s election ““It could take between two weeks or until the end of the month”depending on the observations to the minutes that are recorded, said the head of the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), Bernardo Pachas.

On Sunday, the National Elections Jury (JNE) had already anticipated that the final results would take until, possibly, mid-July. The JNE spokesperson, Grecia Rentería, explained to journalists that the proclamation of the 100% figures will be delayed due to the introduction of the new mandatory vote recount process in cases of contested tables or with observations.

“As simple as the mathematical operation may seem, or the recording of figures in the tally sheet, there are always some problems, since there is a percentage of sheets observed that go back and forth between the first instance, and if the representative is not satisfied, he tends to appeal, and it reaches the National Election Jury,” explained the interim head of the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), Bernardo Pachas.

Pachas stressed that this procedure “It is what delays, and that is why they have calculated, more or less, the fortnight of July to know the final results of the elections.

To declare a winner, furthermore, Contested records containing some 450,000 votes must be reviewed, which can take days.

The authority did not rule out that the count could be extend even until the beginning of July, It will depend on how quickly the minutes arrive from abroad and from rural areas of the country.

The runoff pitted the daughter of the late former president Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000) against Sánchez, political heir of former president Pedro Castillo, imprisoned after a failed self-coup in 2022.

It is the fourth time that Fujimori, 51, has competed for the presidency, while for Sánchez, 57, it is his first nomination.

The pace of the current count falls within the Peruvian standard. The final result of the 2021 runoff between the leftist Pedro Castillo and Keiko Fujimori it was known it was known six weeks after the vote. Castillo won with 50.12% of the votes compared to Fujimori’s 49.87%.

The right-wing candidate reiterated this Tuesday her exhortation to be cautious with the partial results.

“I think it is very premature to declare a winner, it is up to me to wait,” Keiko Fujimori told the press, after pointing out that several minutes remain to be counted that could “close the gap.”

For its part, the electoral observation mission of the European Union indicated that the second round took place in “calm and orderly” manner in the context of a polarized campaign.

The head of mission, Annalisa Corrado, urged the candidates to “wait patiently for the official proclamation of the results.”

“The result of the presidential election on June 7 led us to a technical tie,” he added.

The winner will replace interim president José María Balcázar on July 28 for a five-year term.