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1h ago

Peru Votes in Crowded First Round as Runoff Looms

A new Senate with easier impeachment rules raises the stakes for whoever advances.

Peruvian electoral workers distribute voting materials to polling stations, as police and military personnel stand guard, ahead of the April 12 general election, in Lima, Peru, April 11, 2026. REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo
In accordance with Peruvian law, workers remove a campaign sign a day ahead of the general election, in Lima, Saturday, April 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)
A voter casts a ballot during general elections in Lima, Peru, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
Voters line up at a polling station during general elections in Lima, Peru, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

Overview

  • Peruvians are casting ballots Sunday in a first‑round vote for president and a reconstituted Congress, with polls due to close at 5 p.m. local time and a June 7 runoff widely expected.
  • About 35 presidential hopefuls are on the ballot in a record‑size field, and voting is mandatory for roughly 27 million registered citizens.
  • Conservative contender Keiko Fujimori led late pre‑silence polls at about 15% and has pledged special powers, army support for policing prisons and borders, and the expulsion of undocumented migrants.
  • Public security is the top issue, with homicides roughly doubling this decade and annual extortion reports rising from about 3,200 to 26,500, fueling calls for tougher crime policies.
  • Whoever reaches the runoff will face a newly restored Senate that can remove a president with 40 of 60 votes, as Washington watches China’s growing economic footprint in Peru.