This Sunday April 11, 2021, Presidential and Congress elections will be held in Peru. We are facing a crucial election with a very complex context.

On one side, the COVID-19 Pandemic continues to severely affect the country’s health and economy and will probably continue to do so well into the new President’s and Congress’ mandates. The number of cases and deaths due to the virus is at an all-time high, with over 2,800 new cases and 250 deaths a day. Meanwhile hospital beds are not enough to cover the demand, oxygen is scarce, and the vaccination campaign is extremely slow.

In addition to this, it has been estimated that 1.5 million Peruvians have lost their sources of income during the state of emergency due to severe quarantine regulations imposed by the government. As such, candidates have been emphasizing their proposals on COVID-19 related issues, trying to balance the need to ensure work opportunities for all whilst protecting the citizens from the spread of the virus.

Considering this scenario, the Electoral Processes Office (“ONPE” for its acronym in Spanish), in charge of the electoral process in Peru, has established special measures to ensure that everyone can vote safely. These are important given that the vote is not voluntary and the government continues to actively fight COVID-19 in the country. These measures include a) extended voting hours; b) implementing a voting schedule depending on the last digit on the identity card; and c) reducing the number of voting tables in each voting location at the same time as increasing the number of voting places to cast a vote.

On the other hand, political upheaval experienced in the country with the resignation of Pedro Pablo Kuczynski to the presidency in 2018, the dissolution of the congress in September 2019, the impeachment of Martin Vizcarra and the nation-wide protests in November 2020, play an important part in this year’s elections. The population is polarized and questioning political, social, and economic regimes currently in place in the country.

This has manifested in uncertain preliminary poll results that are not showing a clear favorite candidate nor political party. Every week, for the past few months, polls indicate a different tendency that varies due to specific statements or exposure to information on a certain candidate. Not one of the 18 presidential candidates has been able to obtain more than 20% in the polls, and only a week before the elections there was a technical draw for the first position between the top five candidates.

Unrest has already had a tangible impact in the country’s economy, with the exchange rate for the United States Dollar varying from 3.55 in September 2021 to 3.70 by the end of March 2021.

This Sunday’s election will result in the appointment of the members of Congress. Unfortunately, the presidential election is unlikely to result in a final winner, as no one candidate will obtain the absolute majority of the votes, which will result in a runoff between the two candidates who received the most votes in June 2021.

Both Congress and the President will be sworn in on July 28, 2021, date of the 200th anniversary of the independence of Peru.