Simeon Tegel

The country's two principal exit polls gave Keiko Fujimori a 1.4% and 1% lead over her far-left opponent, Roberto Sanchez, when voting stations closed today at 5pm local time.

Voting took place without major problems after a polarising race between two deeply unpopular candidates, both of whom have been linked to corruption and accused of undermining democracy.

Keiko has promised to dynamise the economy by cutting red tape and tackle surging crime by building more prisons and putting soldiers on the streets.

But she will also face distrust from a large chunk of the electorate who fear she will repeat her father's authoritarian abuses.

Official election results could take days.

For NPR News, I'm Simeon Tegel in Lima, Peru.

The country's two principal exit polls gave Keiko Fujimori a 1.4% and 1% lead over her far-left opponent, Roberto Sanchez, when voting stations closed today at 5pm local time.

Voting took place without major problems after a polarising race between two deeply unpopular candidates, both of whom have been linked to corruption and accused of undermining democracy.

Keiko has promised to dynamise the economy by cutting red tape and tackle surging crime by building more prisons and putting soldiers on the streets.

But she will also face distrust from a large chunk of the electorate who fear she will repeat her father's authoritarian abuses.

Official election results could take days.

For NPR News, I'm Simeon Tegel in Lima, Peru.

For the third time in the last four elections, Peruvians face a polarizing choice of presidential candidates.

Far-right candidate Keiko Fujimori or a far-left opponent, Roberto Sanchez.

The election comes after years of political chaos, runaway corruption and rising street crime.

Many voters blame the outgoing scandal-wracked Congress, dominated by Keiko's Popular Force Party.

She is promising to build maximum security prisons and send the army into the streets.

Sanchez, a member of that Congress, plans to nationalize large chunks of the economy and curb imports.

The tightly contested election is expected to be decided by the unusually high number of undecided voters, who are dissatisfied with both candidates.

For NPR News, I'm Simeon Tegel in Lima, Peru.