More than 27,000 challenged electoral records have been sent to the Special Electoral Boards (JEE) for review, within the framework of the General Elections held on April 12, the legal coordinator of the
Advisory Cabinet, Jorge Valdivia, said on Monday.
"Everything will depend, obviously, on the volume of challenged records that will reach us. So far, according to ONPE reports, there are more than 65,000 challenged records and only 27,227 of them have arrived," he indicated.
Of the total received, 26,049 case files have been opened, while 1,178 records are still pending processing.
According to Valdivia, these records contain inconsistencies detected during the official vote count and therefore require a detailed review.
"When the objection cannot be resolved, as was done previously, the record used to be declared null. That will no longer be the case. What is now ordered is a vote recount, in an unappealable decision. It is the Special Electoral Boards that, upon receiving the challenged record and being unable to resolve the objection, order the vote recount. And this is legal," he explained.
How are challenged records processed?
Each polling table issues four copies of the electoral record for each type of election, which are distributed among the Decentralized Electoral Process Offices (ODPE), the Special Electoral Board, the JNE, and ONPE.
"They are four copies issued by each polling table member for each type of election," the official indicated.
The copy assigned to the ODPE is the one used for the official vote count, whose results are released progressively.
When an inconsistency is detected — such as an arithmetic error between votes and voters — the record is challenged and sent to the JEE together with the corresponding copy and a detailed report.
"They send us the challenged record with the JEE copy and a report stating the objection," Valdivia noted.
Progress in the review
So far, the JEE have issued 3,513 decisions on challenged electoral records, resolving various inconsistencies.
Of those cases, 381 records have been referred for a vote recount, a procedure applied when the detected objection cannot be corrected.
Vote recount: new mechanism
Unlike previous processes, when records that could not be corrected were annulled, the current rules establish a vote recount.
"Previously, the record was declared null; now a vote recount is ordered by legal mandate," he said.
This decision is adopted by the JEE in an unappealable manner, in compliance with the Organic Elections Law.
For that purpose, the ODPE is asked to send the sealed envelope containing uncontested ballots, which must be delivered within 24 hours. Afterwards, the JEE calls a public hearing to conduct the recount.
Hearings underway
The JNE reported that five vote recount hearings have already been held, while a sixth is currently taking place at the JEE in Chanchamayo.
These sessions are broadcast live through its institutional portal and digital platforms.
"The hearings are broadcast in real time through the institutional portal and via YouTube," Valdivia added.
Results and deadlines
Each electoral record may contain up to 300 votes, depending on the number of voters assigned to each polling table.
Regarding final results, May 15 remains the estimated date, especially for the presidential election, although this will depend on progress in resolving challenged electoral records.