LIMA, May 31 - Two independent polls published on Sunday indicate that Keiko Fujimori maintains a slim advantage over Roberto Sanchez with one week remaining before Peru's presidential runoff on June 7.
The Ipsos survey, carried out May 29-30 and published in the local newspaper Peru 21, projects Fujimori at 38% and Sanchez at 35% in the head-to-head vote. According to Ipsos, Fujimori's support declined by one percentage point compared with the previous Ipsos poll, while Sanchez's tally remained unchanged. The same poll found that 27% of respondents said they would either not vote for any candidate or intended to cast a blank or invalid ballot, an increase of one percentage point.
Alfredo Torres, CEO of Ipsos, commented on the significance of that bloc: "The big question in the final week is what undecided voters or those who say they plan to cast a blank or invalid ballot will do," he said. "The logic of choosing the lesser evil will ultimately determine who will be president of Peru for the 2026-2031 term."
A second poll, conducted May 26-30 by Datum Internacional and published in the local newspaper El Comercio, placed Fujimori at 39.8% and Sanchez at 35.9%.
Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of late former President Alberto Fujimori who is running for the presidency for the fourth time, emerged as the first-round leader on April 12 with 17% of the vote. Roberto Sanchez, an ally of jailed former leftist President Pedro Castillo, advanced to the runoff after receiving 12% in the first round.
Both candidates are scheduled to participate in a debate later on Sunday, ahead of the June 7 runoff.
Each poll reported a modest margin of sampling uncertainty. Ipsos cited a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points, while Datum Internacional reported a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.
These surveys show a tight contest with a significant segment of the electorate still uncommitted or signalling intent to submit blank or invalid ballots, making the final week of campaigning potentially decisive.