Peru's National Jury of Elections confirmed on May 17, 2026 that conservative Keiko Fujimori (17 percent) and left-wing Roberto Sánchez (12 percent) will compete in a June 7 runoff after a troubled first round on April 12. The initial vote was plagued by count delays and logistical failures that extended voting into April 13, prompting third-place finisher Rafael López Aliaga (11.9 percent) to demand annulment and refuse to accept results. Electoral authorities pledged fixes and will convene national and international experts to ensure a smoother runoff. The timing of financial crime charges against Sánchez hours after his runoff qualification was announced adds controversy to an election occurring amid Peru's political instability, which has seen nine presidents in the last decade.
Presidential runoff confirmation
- ▪The Peru presidential runoff between Keiko Fujimori and Roberto Sánchez is scheduled for June 7, 2026
- ▪Keiko Fujimori took first place in Peru's first round of presidential voting with 17 percent of the vote
- ▪Peru has had nine different presidents holding power in the last decade due to frequent impeachment efforts by the country's Congress
- ▪Peru's National Jury of Elections confirmed on May 17, 2026 that Keiko Fujimori will face Roberto Sánchez in the country's presidential runoff
First-round voting problems
- ▪Voting in some places in Peru was extended to April 13, 2026 due to shortcomings in the first round
- ▪Peru's National Jury of Elections pledged to make fixes before the June 7, 2026 runoff election
- ▪A committee of national and international experts will be convened to ensure a smoother process during Peru's second round of presidential voting
- ▪Peru's National Jury of Elections President Roberto Burneo acknowledged many difficulties and flaws in the logistical deployment by ONPE during the first round of voting
- ▪Peru's first round of presidential voting on April 12, 2026 was marred by count delays and logistical issues
- ▪Roberto Burneo stated that Peru's National Jury of Elections has incorporated all the lessons learned from the first round and is strengthening oversight
Fraud allegations
- ▪The election-day hiccups in Peru's first round of voting sparked allegations of fraud from several candidates
- ▪Election observers acknowledged frustrations but cautioned that there is no evidence of fraud in Peru's first round of presidential voting
Candidate protests
- ▪Rafael López Aliaga came in third place in Peru's first round of presidential voting with 11.9 percent of the vote
- ▪Rafael López Aliaga stated on May 17, 2026 that he would not accept the results of Peru's first round of presidential voting
- ▪Rafael López Aliaga called for Peru's first round of presidential voting to be annulled
Criminal charges against Sánchez
- ▪The charges for financial crime against Roberto Sánchez were announced hours after election authorities announced Roberto Sánchez was on track to advance to the runoff
- ▪Peru's public prosecutor's office announced charges for financial crime against Roberto Sánchez in May 2026
Perspective of Rafael López Aliaga
- ▪Rafael López Aliaga believes Peru's first round of presidential voting should be annulled due to fraud allegations and logistical failures
Perspective of Election observers
- ▪Election observers in Peru found no evidence to support fraud allegations despite acknowledging legitimate voter frustrations with logistical problems
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