PERU · POLITICS
Key Facts
- Who Two candidates, from the Peruvian parties Somos Perú and País para Todos each won 671 votes.
- What A public draw with a coin picked the winner on Wednesday 4 November 2026.
- Where Conima district, Moho province, Puno region, southern Peru.
- The rule Peru’s national elections jury ruled on 29 October 2026 that tied races go to a coin toss.
- Power Index Peru ranks 5th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 53.9 points (November 2026 edition).
A coin toss has chosen the next mayor of Conima, a district in the Puno region of southern Peru, after two candidates finished with exactly 671 votes each. Electoral officials held the draw on Wednesday 4 November 2026, and Rubén Quispe Capajaña of Somos Perú, a national political party, came out ahead.
Peru’s election authorities settle an exact tie by lot rather than a new vote. The result shows how thin a margin can be in a country where every district elects its own mayor.
What Happened in Conima
After the count reached 100% of the vote records, Quispe Capajaña and Salomino Mamani Quispe, of the party País para Todos, each stood at 671 votes. The figures come from Peru’s national electoral processes office (ONPE), the body that counts the ballots.
The tie went to the Jurado Electoral Especial of Huancané, a temporary local electoral panel that settles disputes in its area, which ordered a public draw. On Wednesday 4 November 2026, officials of the panel, the ODPE (a decentralised local office of ONPE), the national police and a notary from Huancané watched it.
How the Coin Toss Worked
The representative of Somos Perú chose “sello”, the Spanish term for one side of the coin, and a coin was picked at random from a box of five one-sol coins. The draw was run in public.
The coin landed on sello, so Quispe Capajaña was named the winner. He is now described as mayor-elect, pending formal proclamation.
Why Peru Settles Ties by Lot
Peru’s national elections jury (JNE), the top electoral authority, decided on 29 October 2026 that tied races would be settled by a coin toss. The rule applies to this year’s local elections.
Peru has used draws before in local contests, including in the Ayacucho region in 2022. In Conima, the draw settled the contest without a new vote.
What It Means for You
For readers outside Peru, the case is mainly a lesson in how local democracy works there: districts elect their own mayors, and a result can turn on a few votes. Investors and visitors will notice no change, since a district mayor handles local matters rather than national policy.
The result matters most to residents of Conima, who will have a mayor chosen by chance. Our reports on Peru’s electoral court barring ex-mayors’ backdoor re-election and on Peru’s regional runoffs show that more local contests are still open.
What Is Not Known
It is not yet known when the formal proclamation will happen or whether the losing side will challenge the draw. The reports mention no appeal.
The district’s total electorate and turnout were not part of the reports on the result.
More: Peru news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Won the Conima Mayoral Race?
Rubén Quispe Capajaña of Somos Perú won a coin draw after tying with 671 votes each. The draw took place on Wednesday 4 November 2026.
Is a Coin Toss Allowed in Peru?
Yes. Peru’s national elections jury decided on 29 October 2026 that tied races would be settled by a coin toss.
Has Peru Decided an Election by Lot Before?
Yes, in earlier local elections, including in the Ayacucho region in 2022. The Conima draw follows the same approach.
Where Is Conima?
Conima is a district in Moho province in Peru’s Puno region, in the south of the country. It is far from Lima, the capital.
Sources: ONPE, Peru’s national electoral processes office, vote count for Conima, 10 November 2026; National Elections Jury of Peru (JNE), electoral panel of Huancané, public draw record, 4 November 2026; Municipal Elections Law, Law 26864, Article 26.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error