Peru Regional Runoffs on 29 November: Expat Guide

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PERU · EXPATS & NOMADS

The Peru regional runoffs are set for Sunday 29 November 2026 in 15 of the country’s 25 regions, on a provisional count. For US visitors and expats, the vote is for Peruvians, but the alcohol ban and closures reach everyone there.

Arequipa, Trujillo, Huaraz, Lake Titicaca and Iquitos all sit in regions heading for a second round. Metropolitan Lima, Callao and Cusco do not hold one on the current count.

Why Peru Votes Again on 29 November

Peruvians voted for 25 regional governors on Sunday 4 October, together with mayors and councils across the country. A governor ticket needs at least 30% of valid votes to win in the first round.

Where no ticket reaches that mark, the top two meet again in what Peru calls the Second Regional Election. The Peru regional runoffs cover only governor and vice-governor tickets, not mayors or councils.

The JNE, the national electoral court, fixed Sunday 29 November 2026 for that vote in an agreement signed on Wednesday 30 September. It said it would ask the president to issue the formal call in due course.

The runoff ballot is short. According to ONPE, it shows only the names and symbols of each region’s top two organisations from 4 October.

Where the Runoffs Take Place

On the ONPE count reported on Tuesday 6 October, no governor ticket reached 30% in 15 regions. They are Amazonas, Áncash, Arequipa, Cajamarca, Junín, La Libertad, Lambayeque and Lima Provincias.

The other seven are Loreto, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, Tacna and Tumbes. Lima Provincias is the region around the capital, not the city of Lima itself.

The Peru regional runoffs touch several places visitors know well. Arequipa, Trujillo in La Libertad, Huaraz in Áncash and Lake Titicaca in Puno are all on the map.

So are Iquitos, the Amazon city in Loreto, and the Máncora beaches in Piura. Chiclayo in Lambayeque and the border cities of Tacna and Tumbes also vote.

Three places most visitors pass through are not on the list. Metropolitan Lima elects no regional governor, while Callao, home of Lima’s airport, and Cusco had leaders above 30%.

ONPE had processed every tally sheet in Callao, Tumbes, Lambayeque, Moquegua and Ica by Monday 5 October. Elsewhere, close races such as Cajamarca, Tacna and Junín, where leaders sit just under 30%, can still move.

Can Foreigners Vote in the Runoffs

No. Peru lets resident foreigners vote only in municipal elections, under article 7 of its Municipal Elections Law.

That right covers foreigners over 18 who have lived in Peru for more than two continuous years, outside border districts. They must also register with Reniec, the national identity registry.

Only 76 foreigners signed up for 2026, in 46 districts. ONPE gave them a municipal ballot only, because they cannot take part in choosing regional authorities.

That leaves the Peru regional runoffs to Peruvian citizens alone. Peruvians with a registered address abroad, such as in the United States, do not vote in regional elections either, Reniec says.

Peruvian voters who skip the vote pay a fine, converted here at 3.445 soles to the US dollar on 6 October 2026. For 4 October, the JNE listed it at S/110 (US$32) in districts classed as not poor.

The fine was S/55 (US$16) in poor districts and S/27.50 (US$8) in the poorest. Poll workers who fail to turn up pay S/275 (US$80).

Dry Law, Closures and Fines

Peru’s electoral law bans alcohol sales from 8 a.m. the day before a vote until 8 a.m. the day after. For the runoff, that means 8 a.m. on Saturday 28 November to 8 a.m. on Monday 30 November.

Places that only sell alcohol, such as bars and liquor stores, must close, and no one may sell drinks of any kind. Breaking the ban can bring up to six months in jail and a minimum fine of S/3,390 (US$984), the JNE says.

On 4 October, the law also barred public shows, indoors or outdoors, during polling hours. That covered theatre and cinema screenings and public meetings from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the day.

Voters could not gather within 100 metres of polling stations, and political rallies had to stop two days before the vote. The same electoral law governs the runoff.

The last regional runoff offers a guide. On 4 December 2022, the dry law applied only in the nine regions that voted.

Tips for US and Foreign Visitors

During the Peru regional runoffs, the election rules deal with alcohol, rallies, opinion polls, campaign advertising and public shows. They do not touch visas, flights or border crossings.

Planning a winery visit, a dinner with drinks or a tasting tour in a runoff region that weekend? Book it for Friday, or for Monday after the ban ends at 8 in the morning.

Restaurants and supermarkets can open, but they cannot sell you a beer or a pisco sour. Buy anything you want for the weekend before 8 on Saturday morning.

Because shows were banned during voting hours on 4 October, check concert and cinema times in runoff regions for Sunday 29 November. Ask the venue before you buy tickets for that day.

On 4 October, polls were open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Allow extra time if your route passes a polling station, and keep clear of crowds outside.

The JNE has asked the government to protect candidates, poll workers and voters. For background on the first round and the security picture, see the expat guide to the 4 October vote.

What Is Not Confirmed Yet

Three things about the Peru regional runoffs are still open. The first is the list itself, which becomes official only when special election juries rule on disputed tally sheets and proclaim results.

The second is the date. ONPE has asked the JNE to move the vote one week, to Sunday 6 December, citing the time needed to print ballots.

JNE president Roberto Burneo told RPP that the plenary would assess the request. The court had announced no change by Tuesday 6 October, and the presidential decree calling the vote is still pending.

The third is the exact scope of the dry law and the other restrictions. For 4 October, the JNE published its notice on Sunday 27 September, about a week before the vote.

What Comes Next

ONPE must hand all disputed regional tally sheets to the juries by Sunday 11 October. The juries must finish their public recount hearings by Wednesday 28 October.

Once the juries proclaim the first-round results, the map of the Peru regional runoffs becomes final. For the candidates and their latest shares in each region, see the full list of the 29 November runoffs.

More: Peru news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can foreigners vote in Peru’s 29 November regional runoffs?

No. Resident foreigners may vote only in municipal elections, and only after more than two years in Peru and registration with Reniec. The runoff elects regional governors, so it is for Peruvian citizens.

When is the dry law for the Peru regional runoffs?

Under Peru’s electoral law, alcohol sales stop from 8 a.m. on Saturday 28 November to 8 a.m. on Monday 30 November. In the 2022 regional runoff, the ban applied only in the regions that voted.

Does the runoff affect Lima, Cusco or the airport?

Metropolitan Lima elects no regional governor, and Callao, home of the airport, and Cusco had leaders above 30% on the ONPE count. Lima Provincias, the region around the capital, does face a runoff.

Sources: JNE (Jurado Nacional de Elecciones), runoff date and deadlines, 1 October 2026; JNE, election restrictions and dry law (Ley Orgánica de Elecciones, arts. 190, 191, 351, 390), 27 September 2026; JNE, fines for not voting, 2 October 2026; JNE, final voter roll and foreign voters, 8 June 2026; ONPE, ballot designs and foreign voters, 23 July 2026; ONPE, count completed in Lima Metropolitana and five regions, 5 October 2026; ONPE, election day hours and offices elected, 4 October 2026; Reniec, why Peruvians abroad do not vote in regional elections, 16 September 2026; Reniec, foreign residents’ right to vote in municipal elections (Ley 26864, art. 7), 4 January 2023; Infobae Perú, regions heading for a runoff, 6 October 2026; Infobae Perú, how Lima and Callao vote, 3 October 2026; Perú Informa, 15 regions headed for a runoff (ONPE count), 5 October 2026; El Tiempo (Piura), ONPE asks JNE to reconsider the runoff date, 3 October 2026; RPP, ONPE asks JNE to reconsider the 29 November date; Burneo says the plenary will assess it, 3 October 2026; RPP, dry law in nine regions for the 2022 regional runoff, 3 December 2022.

Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error