Ruptly
"Polling stations at the University of Lima opened hours late on Sunday, triggering long queues, frustration and fears over voter turnout as Peru held its presidential election. Footage shows hundreds of voters waiting in long lines through corridors, classrooms and stairways to cast their ballot. From the early hours, citizens expressed their dissatisfaction with the slow pace of the process, pointing to disorganisation and technical failures that made it difficult to exercise their right to vote. "There has been a significant delay in being able to vote. generally, we have taken around one hour and 15 minutes to manage to vote. It is truly regrettable that we have to spend so long to exercise our vote here in Peru," said Alvaro Baures, a Peruvian citizen. The National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) reported via its social media that the problems recorded were due to "interruptions in connectivity and failures in the synchronisation of equipment." The institution remarked that these difficulties did not affect the transparency or validity of the electoral process, seeking to reassure the population. However, moments of tension were reported at the site, with voters demanding immediate solutions and better management of polling station traffic. Some citizens expressed concern about not being able to vote within the established timeframe, while others said the delays were unlikely to affect the election result. "I think not [that the result would be affected], because it has also been seen that there are observers overseeing that the voting is carried out properly," proclaimed Baures. On the contrary, Rocio Palomino, another Peruvian who went to the University of Lima to cast her vote, said that "it could be [that the result is affected], it could be that it may affect it, there will be so many people who will not be able to go and vote." The National Jury of Elections (JNE) insisted that it is maintaining constant monitoring of the situation and called for calm among the population. The body stressed that established protocols are in place to address this type of contingency and ensure the continuity of the process."
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