Peru Presidential Election: Keiko Fujimori Holds Slim Lead as Electoral Body Reviews Contested Votes
Peru's presidential election count is nearly complete, with conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori leading leftist Roberto Sanchez by approximately 600 votes. The electoral authority has begun reviewing about 400,000 contested ballots, a process expected to take weeks. Financial markets have rebounded from a sell-off, with the main stock index closing up 3.94%.
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- 📰 Published: June 12, 2026 at 16:23
- 🔍 Collected: June 12, 2026 at 16:40 (17 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 12, 2026 at 16:43 (3 min after Collected)
(Central News Agency, Lima, 11th – Combined Foreign News Report) Peru's National Election Jury today began reviewing contested ballots from the presidential election. The initial count is nearly complete, but the margin between the two candidates is extremely narrow.
According to Reuters, Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of Peru's former dictator and a conservative candidate, gradually took the lead late last night with the help of overseas votes, reaching 50.002% of the vote. Leftist candidate Roberto Sanchez has 49.998%, a difference of only about 600 votes out of 18 million.
According to the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), over 98% of votes have been counted, with the remainder being mostly contested ballots. Of the more than 90,000 polling stations nationwide, only 9 have yet to report results. Meanwhile, cases involving approximately 1,600 polling stations and about 400,000 ballots have been submitted to the National Election Jury (JNE) for review.
The review is expected to take several weeks. Most of the contested ballots come from the Lima metropolitan area, which is Fujimori's stronghold.
Peru's financial markets have largely recovered from the sell-off earlier this month. The sell-off was triggered by a rise in Sanchez's poll numbers, as he had vowed to reform Peru's economy, which is overly reliant on mining. Peru's main stock index closed up 3.94% today, and the sol currency strengthened 0.56% against the US dollar to 3.39 sol per dollar.
Throughout the counting process, the two candidates have been in a tight race. Fujimori had an edge in exit polls, while Sanchez held a slight lead in Ipsos's quick count, a method that has accurately predicted previous election results. (Editor: Hung Pei-ying) 1150612
According to Reuters, Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of Peru's former dictator and a conservative candidate, gradually took the lead late last night with the help of overseas votes, reaching 50.002% of the vote. Leftist candidate Roberto Sanchez has 49.998%, a difference of only about 600 votes out of 18 million.
According to the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), over 98% of votes have been counted, with the remainder being mostly contested ballots. Of the more than 90,000 polling stations nationwide, only 9 have yet to report results. Meanwhile, cases involving approximately 1,600 polling stations and about 400,000 ballots have been submitted to the National Election Jury (JNE) for review.
The review is expected to take several weeks. Most of the contested ballots come from the Lima metropolitan area, which is Fujimori's stronghold.
Peru's financial markets have largely recovered from the sell-off earlier this month. The sell-off was triggered by a rise in Sanchez's poll numbers, as he had vowed to reform Peru's economy, which is overly reliant on mining. Peru's main stock index closed up 3.94% today, and the sol currency strengthened 0.56% against the US dollar to 3.39 sol per dollar.
Throughout the counting process, the two candidates have been in a tight race. Fujimori had an edge in exit polls, while Sanchez held a slight lead in Ipsos's quick count, a method that has accurately predicted previous election results. (Editor: Hung Pei-ying) 1150612
FAQ
What is the current status of the Peru presidential election?
Keiko Fujimori leads by about 600 votes, but the result is pending review of approximately 400,000 contested ballots.
When will the contested ballot review end?
It is expected to take several weeks.
What is the impact on financial markets?
There was a temporary sell-off, but stock prices and the currency have recovered.