Peru 2026 regional and municipal elections

On 24 July, Peru’s National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) held a public lottery that selected roughly 809,000 citizens to serve as poll‑table members for the 4 October regional and municipal elections. Selected volunteers can verify their status through the ONPE online portal; priority was given to voters under 65, without disabilities and with higher education, while candidates, public officials and armed‑forces personnel were excluded.

Regional electoral offices in Puno and Tacna opened service desks to answer public queries, coordinate training and logistics, and reported recruiting 7,428 and 9,030 poll‑workers respectively. A three‑day window for challenges to the lists was also announced.

The Special Electoral Jury in Huancayo confirmed that eleven school facilities, housing 77 voting tables and more than 22,000 voters, were damaged in a magnitude‑5.1 earthquake on 18 July; inspections are ongoing to certify their safety before election day.

Further election preparations progressed on 28 July. Six candidates were admitted to contest the governorship of the Ayacucho region after validation by the Special Electoral Jury of Huamanga; two rejected candidacies await appeal. Candidate lists for the regional council of Batalla Perú and Perú Primero were accepted.

The Contraloría General issued an urgent directive to the governor of Cusco and all provincial and district mayors, ordering the formation of a Transfer Team of the outgoing office by 31 July. The team must include at least three trusted officials, record all information on the mandatory RC‑TG digital platform, and ensure continuity of public services and infrastructure projects ahead of the elections.

These steps complement earlier contingency planning for El Niño‑related disruptions, with a technical working group and disaster‑risk measures prepared to protect communications, logistics, voting equipment and results.