LIMA, April 13 - Voting and vote counting in Peru carried over into a second day on Monday after logistical issues at polling stations delayed openings and prevented tens of thousands of people from voting on Sunday. Election officials extended voting into Monday for those affected by the distribution problems tied to voting materials.
The national electoral body, ONPE, reported in the early hours of Monday that with about 50% of votes counted the former congresswoman Keiko Fujimori was in the lead with roughly 17% of the vote. She was followed by right-wing former Lima mayor Rafael Lopez Aliaga at about 15% and center-left candidate Jorge Nieto at approximately 13%.
Exit polls published on Sunday had placed Fujimori in front of the crowded field. During the unfolding official count, Lopez Aliaga briefly moved ahead of Fujimori, highlighting how close and changeable the contest remains as tallies continue.
Fujimori is the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, who was imprisoned for human rights abuses, a detail noted in coverage of the campaign and voting. Election authorities and observers were managing the extended process as officials worked through the backlog created by delayed openings at some polling stations.
The extension into Monday applied to tens of thousands of voters who were unable to cast ballots on the initial voting day after some polling locations did not open on time. Officials cited distribution problems with voting materials as the reason for the delays and the subsequent need to keep voting open for affected citizens.
With half the ballots tabulated and margins among the leading candidates narrow, the presidential contest remained unsettled. The official count and the sequence of provisional results showed movement among the top contenders, underscoring the fluidity of the race as ONPE continued to process returns.
Clear summary
Delays in distributing voting materials led to an extension of voting into Monday for tens of thousands who could not vote on Sunday. With around 50% of ballots counted, Keiko Fujimori led with about 17%, followed by Rafael Lopez Aliaga at about 15% and Jorge Nieto at about 13%. Exit polls had placed Fujimori in the lead, though Lopez Aliaga briefly moved ahead in early official results.