Keiko Fujimori, presidential candidate in Peru’s 2026 election. Photo: Directorio Legislativo.

Over the weekend of April 12, 27.3 million Peruvians headed to the polls to cast their votes in the presidential election, which touted over 30 candidates—the most in the country’s history. With a 50 percent vote necessary to secure a majority, frontrunner Keiko Fujimori with 17 percent of the vote and second place Roberto Sánchez with 12 percent will be forced to go head-to-head once again in June.

Voting was riddled with technical errors, resulting in an extension to Monday, April 13 for the more than 50,000 Peruvians who weren’t able to vote on Sunday because many polling stations did not receive election materials “in time to open.” The National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) declared that it would be taking legal action against the company contracted to transport voting equipment, Servicios Generales Galaga, for failing to deliver it in a “timely manner.” For the polling stations that were subsequently closed on Sunday, Peru’s national electoral tribunal decided to extend voting into Monday. And still, two weeks later, ballot counting remains sluggish.

In the midst of the chaos, Piero Corvetto—the head of Peru’s electoral authority (ONPE)—stepped down from his post over pressure due to delayed vote counting. In his letter of resignation, which he posted on X, Corvetto explained that he hoped his renunciation would instill “greater public confidence” in the runoff election. Mounting frustration with ballot delays and logistical failures have raised concerns of fraudulent behavior. However, the European Union’s election observer confirmed that the election met “democratic standards.” 

Neck-and-neck for second place were Rafael López Aliaga and Roberto Sánchez. Sánchez ultimately out-voted López Aliaga for the runner-up spot, prompting him to denounce the elections as fraudulent alongside his incendiary fanbase. Despite a lack of evidence, López Aliaga nonetheless demanded the National Jury of Elections (JNE) annul the results. The candidate also informally requested that the JNE suspend the announcement of second and third place, citing logistical failures as a hindrance to voting for over 608,000 Peruvians. In reality, only roughly 53,000 were affected by a delay in delivery of electoral materials. Still, López Aliaga’s indignation has riled up his fanbase with calls for information on potential “irregularities, fraud, or sabotage.”

For this election more than ever, the youth vote was critical—ages 18-29 represented roughly a quarter of Peru’s 27 million-person electorate. According to Gonzalo Galdo, president of the Peruvian Institute of Business Administration (IPAE), 6 in 10 young people don’t feel represented in the political sphere. Additionally, early post-election opinion polls indicated that Peruvians ages 18-24 were drawn strongly to the “other” candidate category—the highest of any age group. Conversely, they also abstained significantly less than others. More thorough demographic data is still inconclusive as votes continue to be counted, though according to similar opinion polls, younger voters are more drawn to Fujimori than López Aliaga or Sánchez. Many argue that older generations were deterred from Fujimori due to her father’s legacy—Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000)---who faced accusations of human rights abuses and a myriad of corruption scandals. 

Ultimately, the razor thin margin between candidates indicated the lack of an ideologically aligned youth vote. Typically, young voters gravitate to one end of the political spectrum, though a packed ballot and wavering confidence in the electoral process likely scattered people under 30 across the field of candidates. Current opinion polls and candidate polling numbers indicate that the entire electorate, including youth, is caught up in the frenzy of attempting to end decade-long presidential turnover.

The issues plaguing voters the most in the 2026 election were crime and corruption, resulting in a widespread call for tougher security measures and greater militarization. Thus, it came as no surprise that most candidates placed domestic security at the forefront of their platforms during the 2026 election in an effort to quell public anxieties. However, the looming threat of a fractured Congress mired the light at the end of the electoral tunnel. The candidates advancing to the runoff will have to confront a thorny legislature and newly-configured Senate, which has the potential to stagnate the passage of legislation. 

The election also held great geopolitical significance as Peru forges a deeper economic relationship with China and the (narrowly) leading candidates announced they would maintain close ties with the United States. As such, the inter-hemispheric tug-of-war, domestic electoral hiccups, and historical youth vote have made the Andean election an international spectacle. 

Author Bio: Veronica Martin is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin studying Government and History. Her research interests focus on Latin American foreign affairs, corruption, and democracy.