Peru's presidential election is stuck in a statistical tie, echoing previous vote counts that have dragged on for days or even weeks.
About 94.9% of votes have been tallied in the latest official count, which has put the left-wing candidate Roberto Sánchez on a marginal lead of 50.10%, compared with the right-wing Keiko Fujimori on 49.90%.
Fujimori led early results and exit polls, but Sánchez has been gaining ground since Sunday night as ballots from rural regions come in.
Fujimori is a mainstay of Peruvian politics, while Sánchez has promised broad economic reforms. Concerns over crime and political instability have dominated the race.
The vote tallying is into its second day, but re-counts will likely be needed to confirm the winner, a process that could take weeks.
Peru's ONPE electoral authority said a full count was expected to be completed by July.
Early numbers from pollster Ipsos showed Fujimori dominating the capital Lima, carrying the urban vote and the coast, while Sánchez swept the rural vote and the mountainous Andes regions. Sánchez is expected to continue to gain ground as ballots from rural areas are tallied.
International polling stations, that are expected to favour Fujimori, have yet to be counted.
Sánchez said he was "confident and optimistic, but we'll wait for 100% of the vote".
Fujimori urged patience as she watched her early lead dwindle.
"We're going to wait until the last [vote] and that's what I hope all Peruvians do," she said.
Sánchez has reiterated he would seek a "presidential pardon" that would free former left-wing president Pedro Castillo.
In 2021, Castillo also ran against Fujimori and finished with a similarly close result, which led to the declaration dragging on for weeks. Castillo was eventually jailed after trying to illegally disband Congress and govern by decree, and Sánchez served as a minister in his government.
Fujimori is one of the most well-known figures in Peruvian politics, and this is her fourth time running for office.
Her late father, Alberto Fujimori, was formerly the president of Peru and was eventually jailed for crimes against humanity. But his supporters credited him with a tough crackdown on violent insurgencies and implementation of social programmes to help some of the country's poorest.
His controversial legacy is one she leant into throughout the campaign, promising a tough military crackdown on organised crime, in particular extortion incidents that have soared in recent years.
Fujimori began election day on Sunday by having breakfast in the Lima suburb of San Juan de Lurigancho, the most populous district in Peru, where impoverished neighbourhoods crowd the steep, dusty mountains. She was welcomed by crowds of supporters gathering for selfies with her.
"She will fight crime like her father did years ago," one supporter, Alicia, said.
"It's about time a woman governed us, one who makes us feel valued," another, Catalina Solana Guamá, added.
"Previous presidents didn't remember towns like ours, our hillside where we live, the needs people have. Her father travelled around, walking through the mud and sludge here, I want her to go out, not to be an office-bound president, and to be for the people and fight like that," she said.
Catalina welcomed Fujimori's pledge to use the military to tackle crime, saying she wanted her to "fight against those criminals who are killing drivers and bus conductors".
"It's not right that we go out to work and don't know if we'll come back alive."
Another, Jennifer, said "right now things are very bad, especially in this district of San Juan de Lurigancho, there's extortions and killings, she wants to fight that".
Sánchez fought his campaign promising sweeping left-wing reforms to the state and economy including a greater role for the state in Peru's natural resources, investing more heavily in rural areas, reforming the tax system, and reviewing mining contracts.
He argues this is necessary to tackle inequality and redistribute wealth from Peru's rich mineral, gold and copper reserves more equally and has enjoyed subsequent support in more rural areas. But his policies have rattled financial markets.
His supporters fiercely criticised Fujimori and her father's legacy. One, Giovanna, who stood in a crowd waiting to watch Sánchez speak following the results, said Fujimori's family had "done a lot of damage to our country", referencing Alberto Fujimori's forced sterilisation programme.
Some supporters said that if he did not win, they would protest.
"Our voices must be raised, if we have to rise up, at the very least I would do it," Giovanna said.
"Everyone is going to protest, we are going to go out into the streets, we voted for change," a street vendor, Hilda, said.
"Previously we voted for Pedro Castillo, but our president who was elected has been removed and is in prison. That's why we're voting for Sánchez."
A chaotic first round led to accusations of fraud and threats from both sides, after some polling stations faced delays receiving electoral materials.
Election observers and ONPE said voting in the second round had taken place without major issues.
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