Keiko Fujimori Leads by Over 1,000 Votes in Peru Presidential Election; Final Results to Be Announced on July 15 Amid Tense Vote Count

The outcome could indeed be affected. At the end of preliminary vote counting, the two candidates were separated by just over 1,000 votes, and approximately 400,000 ballots from more than 1,600 polling stations are still under review and have not yet been included in the final tally.

Each polling station completes a vote-counting form recording the final number of votes for each candidate. If there are any inconsistencies in the data or content on the form, it may be sent for review.

Special Electoral Review Boards (JEE), each composed of three members, are located across Peru and are responsible for reviewing vote-counting forms from contested polling stations. If the discrepancy is found to be a simple calculation error or another easily resolved issue, the votes will be included in the final count.

If not, the JEE will request documentation or ballot records from the polling station and hold a public hearing within two days to review the ballots. The board has up to three days to complete the review, after which the votes may be formally counted.

The entire review process could take several weeks to complete. However, the National Electoral Jury (JNE) has stated that the official winner will be announced on July 15.

Meanwhile, if one candidate’s lead significantly widens during the review, the outcome may become apparent earlier.

In addition to the ballots from over 1,600 polling stations awaiting review, Sanchez’s campaign requested on July 11 that authorities invalidate votes from approximately 2,400 polling stations.

Sanchez’s campaign claims that 1,750 polling stations within Peru exhibited irregularities, mostly in the capital Lima, and that there were also procedural violations in the transportation of ballots from around 650 overseas polling stations set up in the United States.

The National Electoral Jury has three days to rule on Sanchez’s request. On the same day, Peru’s Foreign Minister stated that authorities had found no issues in the overseas ballot transportation process. (Compiled by: Hung Pei-Ying)