Peruvians returned to polling stations on Monday to complete a presidential and legislative election that was forced into a second day by widespread ballot shortages.
Authorities granted the one-day extension to more than 52,000 voters in Lima. The extension also applied to registered voters in the United States, specifically in Orlando, Florida, and Paterson, New Jersey.
Police confirmed the arrest of an election official on Monday as part of an ongoing investigation into the delivery failures that disrupted Sunday's vote.
Security concerns dominate election
Thirty-five candidates are competing to become Peru’s ninth president in a decade. The field includes a former minister, a comedian, and a political dynasty heiress.
Voters are also electing members to a bicameral Congress for the first time in over 30 years. Recent legislative reforms have concentrated significant power within the newly established upper chamber.
Rising violent crime and corruption have shaped the campaign. Some candidates have proposed building megaprisons and reinstating the death penalty for serious offenses to address the surge in robberies.
"There’s so much crime, so many robberies on every corner; a bus driver was killed," said Heidy Justiniano, a 33-year-old nurse waiting in line in Lima. "What matters most to us right now is safety, the lives of every person."
More than 27 million people are registered to vote in the country. Approximately 1.2 million citizens cast ballots from abroad, primarily in Argentina and the United States.
A candidate requires more than 50 percent of the vote to win the presidency outright. Given the large number of candidates and a divided electorate, a runoff election in June appears likely.
