Polls officially closed in Peru on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. local time following a one-hour extension. Election officials expect to process 60 percent of the presidential ballots by midnight. An unprecedented 35 candidates competed for the support of 27.3 million eligible voters.
Peruvians are casting ballots amid a severe national security crisis and systemic institutional fatigue. The nation has experienced a surge in contract killings and extortion. Voters are now selecting their ninth president in less than a decade. The previous leader, President José Jerí, was removed by Congress in February 2026 over undisclosed meetings with a scrutinized foreign businessman. Interim President José María Balcázar has governed the country since the dismissal.
Projections indicate a highly fragmented electorate. Leading right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori, Popular Renewal’s Rafael López Aliaga, and comedian Carlos Álvarez are all polling under 15 percent, according to candidate tracking data from Americas Quarterly. The low polling numbers make a June 7 runoff election a near certainty.
🇵🇪 Peru Election 2026
Early exit polls paint a picture of a deeply divided electorate. No candidate is anywhere near the 50% threshold needed to secure outright victory in the first round, making a June runoff almost inevitable. https://t.co/cN6Ho2wzRy
— Dr Cristopher Ballinas Valdés (@crisballinas) April 12, 2026
Logistical delays and missing poll workers forced authorities to extend voting hours on Sunday, the Anadolu Agency reported. Voters remain deeply skeptical of the political establishment. The persistent leadership turnover has crippled long-term policy planning, as noted in a recent Guardian analysis of the country’s instability.
What the 2026 Bicameral Shift Means for Presidential Stability
The ongoing election introduces a massive structural change to the Peruvian government. For the first time in over three decades, citizens are voting for a bicameral legislature. This includes a 60-seat Senate and a 130-seat Chamber of Deputies.
The electoral reform creates a two-tier legislative process. This structure is designed to slow down the rapid impeachment cycles that have defined the past ten years. A fragmented electorate will now be forced to build broader coalitions across two separate chambers to pass legislation or remove a sitting executive.