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Peru Election Chief Resigns as Vote Review Moves Toward May 15 Deadline

The move seeks to rebuild trust during a tight, court‑supervised review of disputed tally sheets.

Supporters of presidential candidate Rafael Lopez Aliaga, of the Popular Renewal party, rally in Lima, Peru, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)
Supporters of presidential candidate Rafael Lopez Aliaga, of the Popular Renewal party, rally in Lima, Peru, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)
Roberto Sanchez, presidential candidate of Together for Peru party, greets a woman during a visit to a market in Lima, Peru, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)
A supporter of presidential candidate Rafael Lopez Aliaga, of the Popular Renewal party, holds a sign reading in Spanish, "No to electoral fraud" during a rally in Lima, Peru, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)

Overview

  • Piero Corvetto, head of the national elections office, resigned Tuesday, citing election‑day logistics failures and saying his exit could boost confidence in the June 7 runoff.
  • Peru’s electoral tribunal set a May 15 cutoff on Monday for officials to finish the count and confirm who will face Keiko Fujimori in the second round.
  • With roughly 93% to 94% of ballots counted, Fujimori leads near 17% while Roberto Sánchez and Rafael López Aliaga are locked within about 10,000 to 13,600 votes around 12%.
  • Officials are reviewing more than 15,000 flagged tally sheets, including over 5,000 tied to the presidential race, because of errors, omissions, or formal challenges.
  • Observer groups including the EU mission, Peru’s ombudsman, and Transparencia reported no proof of a rigged count, while López Aliaga alleges fraud and has urged protests without presenting evidence.