LIMA (June 9, 2026) — In a preliminary statement released today, The Carter Center commended the Peruvian electoral authorities for the orderly conduct of the second-round presidential election on June 7. The Center also urged all stakeholders to respect the process for determining results in what is a very close race.

Final results are expected next month, after electoral authorities review all polling station results, including overseas voting; conduct recounts when required; and resolve potential challenges.

The Center’s preliminary statement welcomed the high level of citizen participation and steps taken by election management bodies to resolve logistical issues from the April 12 general elections. Their measures included improved coordination among electoral bodies, earlier delivery of polling station materials, discontinuation of the electronic results processing system, and increased access for party representatives to monitor election preparations.

“Electoral authorities made a concerted effort to improve transparency and increase public confidence in elections between the first and second rounds,” Mission Director Patricio Ballados said. “It is now essential that all stakeholders respect established procedures and allow electoral authorities to complete their work in accordance with the law.”

The preliminary statement noted that preparations for the runoff elections took place under difficult circumstances, as electoral authorities faced the simultaneous challenges of finalizing the first-round results, defending the integrity of the process, resolving an unprecedented number of electoral disputes, and conducting over two thousand recounts.

The mission assessed that the introduction of recounts before the general elections was a positive step to increase the transparency and integrity of the process. However, the recounts also increased complexities that delayed the processing of results from the April 12 elections. Official results from the first round of the presidential election were not officially announced until May 17, and the results for the Chamber of Deputies and Senate are still pending. The lengthy process for finalizing results has contributed to diminished public confidence in the process.

The Carter Center’s Election Expert Mission for the runoff focused on key aspects of the electoral process, including the work of the election management bodies, the results tabulation process, campaign finance, and voter education. The mission visited polling centers in Lima and Callao but did not comprehensively observe election day processes.

Background

The Carter Center redeployed a nine-member Election Expert Mission on May 21, 2026 to observe the June 7 presidential runoff election. The Center first deployed the expert mission for the April 12, 2026 general elections and released a preliminary statement on April 14, 2026.

The Carter Center was invited by the government of Peru on Aug. 1, 2025, to observe the elections, and conducted a pre-election assessment visit at the end of August 2025. The Carter Center conducts its work in accordance with Peruvian law and the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and the Code of Conduct for International Election Observers, adopted at the United Nations in 2005. 

The Carter Center has observed previous elections in Peru, including in 2016 when it deployed a study mission, as well as election observation missions in 2000 and 2001. The Carter Center has conducted 128 full and limited election observation missions in 40 countries and three Native American nations. In addition, 19 expert missions have been conducted in 17 countries.

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Contact: media@cartercenter.org