'The country of endless counting': why does the election result in Peru take so long to come out?

Supporter of Roberto Sánchez raises a 'No to fraud' sign in the candidate's speech after the Peruvian presidential elections
Stifs Paucca/Reuters
Peruvians went to the polls last Sunday (7) for the second round of their presidential elections, but they still don't know who won: the right-wing candidate, Keiko Fujimori, or the left-wing deputy Roberto Sánchez.
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The country is not known for the speed of its investigation, quite the opposite. The first round took place on April 12, but the official result was only declared by the highest electoral body, the JNE (Jurado Nacional de Electores) more than a month later, on May 17.
Many factors contribute to the slowness, the main one being the minimum difference in votes that usually separate the candidates: in the last two elections, Keiko Fujimori finished in second place with 49.88% and 49.87% of valid votes, respectively.
The fierce dispute was also repeated in the first round of 2026, when Sánchez surpassed third place, Rafael López-Aliaga, by just 21,210 votes.
With no defined result, left-wing candidate becomes a dispute in the presidential election in Peru
Other reasons also make Peru notable for the delay in the electoral process, which earned it the nickname "the country of endless counting" by the Spanish newspaper "El País". See which are the main ones:
Paper ballots
Unlike Brazilian elections, which use electronic ballot boxes, voting in Peru mostly uses paper ballots, deposited in physical ballot boxes, later counted by the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE).
Some exceptions are made, such as for military personnel in remote posts and people with disabilities, so that they can vote digitally, via computer or cell phone - even so, using a series of proofs and requirements.
Montage shows candidates for the presidency of Peru Roberto Sánchez and Keiko Fujimori on June 7, 2026, the day of voting in the second round
ERNESTO BENAVIDES / AFP
Rural areas and remote regions
Peru has a challenging geography that causes a delay in sending ballot boxes from the most remote locations to the counting sites.
On the afternoon of this Tuesday (9), when 96.0% of the ballot boxes had been counted, the count was "delayed" in relation to the national average in the regions of Cusco (91%), in the Andes, and in Loreto (93%), in the Peruvian Amazon.
Votes abroad
Although electoral rules allow digital voting for Peruvians residing abroad, in practice, the consulates did not make this modality available to voters, who had to travel to polling stations.
The ballot boxes are, then sent to Peruvian territory for counting. This makes the expatriate vote the least counted of all to date: only 31% of the ballots had been counted as of Tuesday afternoon.
Contestations
Even with the votes counted, the JNE is not expected to declare a winner immediately. This is because the parties must point out inconsistencies in the minutes and challenge the results to the body, or even make allegations of fraud, which will then judge them to be valid or not - and, if necessary, carry out a recount.
In the first round, López-Aliaga's party made several questions that delayed the release of the official result. In total, more than 68 thousand electoral records were contested, totaling more than 1 million votes recounted.
In an election that should be decided by a few thousand votes, if not hundreds, the JNE awaits a new wave of requests for review.

Source: G1

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