A new Ipsos Peru poll shows Keiko Fujimori and Roberto Sánchez tied at 38% each ahead of the June 7 runoff, while the official vote count remains slow and contested. Ultra‑conservative Rafael López Aliaga trails Sánchez by about 24,000 votes and has alleged fraud, but EU observers reported no evidence supporting those claims. With 95.8% of ballots counted, Fujimori led the first round with 17%; Sánchez had 12% and López Aliaga 11.9%. The OAS backed the electoral board's refusal to call extra elections.
Peru Runoff: Fujimori and Roberto Sánchez Locked In Dead Heat at 38% as Vote Count Drags
FILE PHOTO: Peru's presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori delivers a statement as the vote count in the country's general election continues for a fourth day, in Lima, Peru April 15, 2026. REUTERS/Stifs Paucca/File Photo
A new Ipsos Peru survey shows right‑wing candidate Keiko Fujimori and leftist Roberto Sánchez deadlocked at 38% each ahead of the June 7 presidential runoff, according to a poll released Sunday. The result comes as Peru's official vote count continues slowly amid contested tallies and allegations of fraud from a rival candidate.
Poll And First‑Round Totals
The Ipsos Peru poll — the first published since the April 12 first round — found Fujimori and Sánchez tied at 38% each in a hypothetical June runoff. With 95.8% of ballots tallied in the first round, Fujimori led the field with 17%, Sánchez had 12% and ultra‑conservative Rafael López Aliaga had 11.9%.
Dispute Over Second Place
López Aliaga trails Sánchez by roughly 24,000 votes in the tight fight for second place and has demanded that thousands of ballots be annulled, alleging fraud. Observers from the European Union said they found no evidence to substantiate those claims.
Institutional Responses
The Organization of American States on Friday backed Peru's electoral board in rejecting calls for supplementary elections and urged "unrestricted respect for the popular will." The disputes and slow count have raised tensions, but international observers so far have not validated the fraud accusations.
Hypothetical Matchup With López Aliaga
The Ipsos poll also explored an alternate runoff scenario: it suggested Fujimori would fare worse against López Aliaga, with the survey indicating a roughly 31% to 34% result in López Aliaga's favor in that matchup.
Background: Roberto Sánchez previously served as a minister under jailed former President Pedro Castillo.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino; edited by Bill Berkrot)
Help us improve.
