Quick summary: With 99.76% of ballots counted, Keiko Fujimori leads Peru's presidential contest on 17.17%, while Roberto Sanchez holds a narrow edge (12.00%) over Rafael Lopez Aliaga (11.91%) for the second runoff spot. About 50,000 votes remain uncounted; the National Jury of Elections expects to declare the final result by May 15. A runoff between the top two is scheduled for June 7 amid fraud allegations, an electoral investigation and nervous markets.
Fujimori Leads Peru Vote Count; Sanchez Edges Ahead for Runoff as Final Tally Looms
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
With 99.76% of ballots tallied, conservative Keiko Fujimori holds a lead in Peru's presidential race while leftist Roberto Sanchez narrowly edges ultra-conservative Rafael Lopez Aliaga for the second spot that would advance to a June 7 runoff, electoral authorities said on Tuesday.
Peru's National Jury of Elections expects to announce the official final result by May 15 after weeks of delays caused by logistical failures and allegations of irregularities.
Current standings: Fujimori — running for the presidency for the fourth time and daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori — sits on 17.17% of the vote. Sanchez is at 12.00%, just ahead of Lopez Aliaga at 11.91%; Sanchez's margin over Lopez Aliaga is roughly 15,000 votes as counts continue through ONPE, the electoral office.
Outstanding Votes, Investigations and Observers
ONPE says several thousand ballots remain uncounted, representing about 50,000 votes, but electoral authorities and analysts say recent voting trends make a major change to the overall standings unlikely. The prolonged count prompted the resignation of Peru's top electoral official, who is now the subject of a prosecutor's investigation.
European Union observers reported they found no concrete evidence of fraud, even as some candidates — notably Lopez Aliaga — have raised accusations of irregularities.
Left-wing presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez, who is expected to face right-wing presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori in a runoff in June, addresses the media in Lima, Peru, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Angela Ponce
Political And Market Implications
A runoff between the top two vote-getters is scheduled for June 7. If Fujimori's and Lopez Aliaga's right-wing parties replicate their general-election performance in legislative races, they would command a majority in both chambers of the newly reinstated bicameral Congress.
The uncertainty around the count has unsettled financial markets. The Peruvian sol has weakened against the dollar as traders price in the possibility Sanchez — who has pledged to review major stake contracts in mining and gas — reaches the runoff. "The market is pricing in Sanchez's entry into the second round, which recalls 2021," said analyst Cesar Huiman of brokerage Renta4, noting a likely contest between a right-wing and a left-wing candidate.
Polling And Context
An April 26 Ipsos poll showed Fujimori and Sanchez tied at 38% each for the runoff, with both candidates carrying notably high rejection rates: one survey found 48% would definitely not vote for Fujimori (down from 59% pre-election) while 43% rejected Sanchez (up from 39% three weeks earlier).
Peru, a major exporter of copper and agricultural products, has experienced years of political turbulence — eight presidents in the past decade and several former leaders behind bars — yet remains one of Latin America's more resilient economies.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Lucinda Elliott; Editing by Cassandra Garrison and Bill Berkrot)
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