Roberto Sánchez supporter raises 'No to fraud' sign in the candidate's speech after the Peruvian presidential elections Stifs Paucca/Reuters Peruvians went to the polls last Sunday (7) for the second round of their presidential elections, but they still don't know who won: the right-wing candidate, Keiko Fujimori, or the left-wing deputy Roberto Sánchez. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The country is not known for the speed of investigations, quite the opposite. The first round took place on April 12th, but the final result was only declared by the highest electoral body, the JNE (Jurado Nacional de Electores) more than a month later, on May 17th. Many factors contribute to the slowness, the main one being the minimal difference in votes that usually separate the candidates: in the last two elections, Keiko Fujimori finished in second place with 49.88% and 49.87% of valid votes, respectively. In the first round of 2026, Sánchez surpassed third place, Rafael López-Aliaga, by just 21,210 votes. Without a defined result, left-wing candidate becomes a dispute in the presidential election in Peru Other reasons also make Peru notable for the delay in the electoral process, which earned it the nickname "the country of endless counting" by the Spanish newspaper "El País". See which are the main ones: Paper ballots Unlike Brazilian elections, which use electronic voting machines, voting in Peru uses mostly paper ballots, which are deposited in physical ballot boxes, subsequently counted by the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE). Some exceptions are made, such as for military personnel in remote posts and people with disabilities, so that they can vote digitally, via computer or cell phone — even so, subject to a series of proof and requirements. Montage shows Peruvian presidential candidates Roberto Sánchez and Keiko Fujimori on June 7, 2026, the day of voting in the second round ERNESTO BENAVIDES / AFP Rural areas and remote regions Peru has a challenging geography that causes delays in sending ballot boxes from the most remote locations to the counting sites. On Tuesday afternoon (9), when 96.0% of the ballot boxes had been counted, the count was "delayed" in relation to the national average in the regions of Cusco (91%), in the Andes, and in Loreto (93%), in the Peruvian Amazon. Votes abroad Although electoral rules allow digital voting for Peruvians residing abroad, in practice, consulates did not make this modality available to voters, who had to travel to voting stations. The ballot boxes are then sent to Peruvian territory for counting. This makes the expatriate vote the least counted of all to date: only 31% of ballots had been counted as of Tuesday afternoon. Disputes Even with the votes counted, the JNE should not declare a winner immediately. This is because the parties must point out inconsistencies in the minutes and challenge the results to the body, or even report fraud, which will then judge them to be valid or not — and, if necessary, carry out a recount. In the first round, López-Aliaga's party asked several questions that delayed the release of the official result. In total, more than 68 thousand electoral records were contested, totaling more than 1 million votes recounted. In an election that should be decided by a few thousand votes, if not hundreds, the JNE awaits a new wave of requests for review.