Peru’s electoral authorities extended the national election period into Monday following widespread logistical failures that prevented thousands of citizens from casting their ballots on Sunday.
The Jurado Nacional de Elecciones (JNE) announced that voting will remain open until 6:00 p.m. local time on Monday, April 13. The measure applies specifically to 211 polling stations in Lima and two locations in the United States—Orlando and Patterson—that never received the necessary election materials on time. According to BioBioChile, the affected polling stations in Lima were spread across 15 different locations.
JNE President Roberto Burneo stated that the decision aims to ensure that no citizen is disenfranchised by the distribution errors. The responsibility for the delivery of materials fell to the Oficina Nacional de Procesos Electorales (ONPE).
Logistical breakdown impacts thousands
ONPE head Piero Corvetto reported that while 99.8% of the country’s polling stations opened successfully, the 211 affected locations left 63,300 voters unable to participate during the scheduled window. Corvetto attributed the delay to the private contractor hired to manage the transport and distribution of voting kits.
The JNE has requested that the government keep polling centers accessible through Monday and that the military provide security for election personnel. Officials also confirmed that existing bans on election propaganda and the publication of exit polls will remain in effect until the polls close on Monday evening. Additionally, BioBioChile reported that the incident prompted authorities to extend the standard voting hours across the entire country by one hour on Sunday to accommodate the disruptions.
The incident has inflamed an already tense political climate. Rafael López Aliaga, a presidential candidate for the Renovación Popular party, publicly demanded the arrest and prosecution of Corvetto, accusing the official of criminal negligence and failure to perform his duties.
More than 27.3 million Peruvians are eligible to vote in this cycle, which will determine the leadership for the 2026-2031 term. The country is currently navigating a period of intense political volatility, having seen eight different presidents hold office over the last decade.
