LIMA - Peru prepares to hold presidential and reinstated bicameral congressional elections on April 12, as voters seek an end to a decade-long pattern of political turbulence that has prevented presidents from finishing full terms. Polling stations will open at 0700 local time (1200 GMT) and close at 1700, after which paper ballots measuring nearly half a meter (44 centimeters) - the longest in the country's history - will be counted.
About 27 million Peruvians are eligible to vote. In suburban Lima, campaign posters for dozens of candidates line roundabouts and lampposts, reflecting the exceptionally crowded field of 35 presidential hopefuls competing for attention.
"I’ve seen the ballot and it honestly gave me a headache," said shopkeeper Marlene Jimenez. "I don’t know who to vote for." Her reaction echoes a broader sense of voter bewilderment amid the unprecedented length of the ballot and the number of options.
Polling snapshot and electoral outlook
Opinion polls indicate a narrow lead for right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori. She is closely trailed by at least three other contenders, including former Lima mayors Rafael Lopez Aliaga and Ricardo Belmont, and political outsider Carlos Alvarez, a former comedian. No candidate polls above 15%, prompting analysts to view a runoff scheduled for June 7 as almost certain.
Urpi Torrado of polling firm Datum Internacional said the candidates directly behind Fujimori are in a "technical tie." Torrado added: "There are four days to go (until Sunday), and the story can change." Surveys also show roughly 13% of voters remain undecided.
Nicolas Watson at consultancy Teneo noted the significance of this undecided vote for lower-tier contenders, observing that they "cannot be ignored" even if individual support levels sit only between 4.5% and 6%.
Institutional erosion and public priorities
For many Peruvians, the crowded and fragmented contest reflects deeper deterioration in the country's institutions. Since 2018 Peru has seen eight presidents leave office via impeachment, imprisonment or removal, a pattern many hope the current election will break.
Political analyst Fernando Tuesta said these elections could either mark a break from this recurring instability or "keep us trapped in it." The theme of tackling corruption features prominently through the campaign. Four former presidents are currently in prison, most of them tied to bribery cases involving the Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht. Former president Alberto Fujimori served 16 years in jail for human rights abuses and died in 2024 after being released on humanitarian grounds.
Crime surges and the policy response
Crime has emerged as a central issue for voters and, according to several analysts and academics, now rivals or surpasses corruption as a top concern. Peru, which historically was not widely associated with organized crime, has seen spikes in extortion and homicides, particularly affecting transport workers and small businesses, Professor Paula Munoz of Lima’s Universidad del Pacifico said.
Official data cited in the campaign show extortion cases rose nearly 20% last year, while homicide rates reached new records. Those trends have helped drive voter appetite for tougher measures and bolstered support for candidates offering hardline responses.
Some proposals advanced by candidates include deploying troops to address crime, reinstating the death penalty, withdrawing from international human rights courts, and allowing magistrates handling criminal cases to remain anonymous. Such anonymity would bring back Peru’s so-called "faceless judges," a system not in place since 1997.
What voters face on election day
On April 12, voters will confront the practical challenge of navigating an unusually long ballot and a fragmented field of candidates at polling stations across the country. The high number of contenders, the substantial share of undecided voters, and narrow poll margins suggest the immediate outcome is unlikely to produce a definitive winner, raising the prospect of a decisive second-round contest on June 7.
The choices made this weekend will determine whether Peru begins to move away from its recent cycle of political volatility, or remains caught in the pattern of rapid leadership change that has characterized the past several years.