Peruvians will head to the polls on Sunday to vote in the second round of the country's presidential election.
The runoff will determine who will serve as president for the 2026-2031 term, with right-wing Popular Force Party's candidate Keiko Fujimori, who secured the largest share of votes in the first round on April 12, facing left-wing Together for Peru's candidate Roberto Sanchez, who finished second.
Fujimori, the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, is making her fourth consecutive presidential bid as the candidate of the Popular Force Party (Fuerza Popular).
The elections, overshadowed by allegations of irregularities in the first round and a slow vote-counting process, will take place amid an ongoing political crisis in Peru, where eight presidents have served over the past 10 years.
The vote will also be held against the backdrop of a worsening security situation, with organized crime groups expanding their influence through extortion and targeted killings.
Recent opinion polls indicate that security has overtaken corruption and economic concerns as the issue most influencing voter preferences.
Undecided voters and logistical hurdles
Challenges in transporting election records from remote areas to central authorities, combined with bureaucratic appeals procedures, have been cited as key reasons for the slow vote-counting process.
Years of political turmoil and institutional instability have eroded public trust in politics. Analysts say a significant share of voters remain undecided and could ultimately determine the outcome of the race.
Keiko Fujimori, who narrowly lost the previous election, is campaigning to recruit 100,000 polling station observers on behalf of her party in order to prevent a repeat of fraud allegations.
Commenting on the election process, Fujimori said: "They will not be able to do the same thing to us again."
