Update (June 6, 2011):

At the time of writing this post, according to the latest official figures provided by the ONPE at 5:42 a.m [es], with 87.809% of the votes counted, Ollanta Humala is winning the Peru presidential election with 51.253% of the vote, with Keiko Fujimori receiving 48.747%.

Head of the electoral agency, Magdalena Chu, told CNN in Spanish that the official results would be updated through out the night, every two hours on  the ONPE website.

The data recorded in this sample correspond mainly to Lima and other urban areas, so it is assumed that once all votes from rural areas are included, the official result will approach the exit polls and resemble the quick count of the election watchdog Transparencia (Transparency): Humala 51.5%, 48.5% Keiko Fujimori. [es]

Senior citizen casting her vote in Lima, Peru. Photo: Isabel Guerra.

Early indications

At six in the afternoon in Lima, Peru, the first quick count [es] confirmed [es] the trend expressed in the exit poll surveys: 52.6% for Ollanta Humala and 47.4% for Keiko Fujimori. The high percentage obtained by Humala in several regions within the country, which is almost 80% in some cases (see diagram), makes it unlikely that this trend will be significantly reversed, therefore we can presume that Humala is the new president [es] of Peru.

The day began with warnings from Magdalena Chu, president of ONPE the Peruvian electoral body, who called on the electorate to not rely 100% on the exit poll surveys [es] because they “show the error that all scientific sampling has and faces a lack of veracity in the response of those interviewed.”

The electoral process in Peru commenced without complications in the Andean country, with the usual coverage from the media while the candidates, Keiko Fujimori and Ollanta Humala, issued their respective votes.

Some Twitter users reported minor incidents, such as delay in the voting booths or breaches in electoral law, among others:

Luis Alberto Arias (@LAlbertoArias):

Mi mesa 201399 en Miraflores aún no se instala.

Pao Ugaz (@larryportera):

OJO via @mundofrei “Hace unos minutos a mi amiga y a mi nos llego este mensaje Pro-Keiko al celular: http://twitpic.com/57gg06 ” #peruvota

Vanesa Yalan (@vaneyalan):

#ojo #votaperu REVISEN SUS NOMBRES en PADRONES !!!! Hay algunos q presentan errores de impresion. OJO SURCO

The process had already started hours earlier [es] among Peruvians residing abroad, in the midst of complaints of absenteeism and disruption:

From the United States, Miguelon (@casalla) shared this image:

http://twitpic.com/57e7xs y asi se vota en #HOUSTON#PERUVOTA#PERU2011#ONPE

While in Argentina, Pierre Manrique (@PierManriquESPN) reported:

Triste panorama en el Centro de Votación Peruano en la Argentina. Ausentismo de los miembros de mesa http://yfrog.com/h88vsjhj

On social networks (see the blog Globalizado [es] for detailed coverage), users (including the media) have suggested more than one hashtag for tweeting about the day's events, some of which are #peruvota, #votaperu (Peru votes), #5J, #eleccionesperu (Peru elections), #elecciones2011 (2011 elections), among others.

Another group came up with the hashtag #fraude2011 (#fraud 2011) to discuss what they considered a rigged electoral process.

Cecita (@Cecibeloxa):

El partido de K.Fujimori pasará a la historia porque en el día de las elecciones cambiaron de membrete político:de Fuerza 2011 a #fraude2011

Carmen (@carmen_flurry):

Y lo nuevo es..RT @CaviarN: #fraude2011 @Frec_Latina (cadena de TV local) tiene orden de dar a Keiko ganadora en boca de urna (DATUM) tl.gd/atu0vk

The media incident occurred when Mark Villanella, husband of candidate Fujimori, posed for the press showing his identity card, allowing everyone to see his vote [es], an act that did not go unnoticed by local Twitter users, who accused of him of creating propaganda in the voting center, something that is prohibited by Peruvian law:

Yeison Ortega (@yeison_ortega):

Mark enseño su voto ¿Que dice la ONPE sobre ese acto? #elecciones2011 #peru

Javier Avila (@avilagutierrez):

Mark Vito mostró su voto marcado…habrá multa por propaganda?

Joel (@joeltoxico):

El esposo de Keyko Mark Vito mostró su voto, eso esta prohibido, hizo proselitismo

Waiting for results

Results of the poll. Photo: Norbeck, @Zonabase.

There was little more to do apart from wait for the initial results of the vote. (see Storify [es]).

The unofficial results of the exit poll survey by Ipsos-Apoyo gave 52.6% to Humala and 47.4% to Fujimori, while CPI gave Humala 52.5% and Fujimori 47.5%.

In fact, the results of nationwide exit polls by region were overwhelmingly in favor of Humala: Fujimori had only won in Lima, La Libertad, Piura and Tumbes, while Humala won with very high percentages in the 20 remaining regions.

The regions that showed the greatest support for Ollanta Humala in the polls were Puno (79.2%), Cusco (76.4%), Huancavelica (74.8%) and Ayacucho (70.4%), all located in the central and southern Andes.

Keiko Fujimori won in the regions of Lima (51.3%), La Libertad (54.7%), Tumbes (53.4%) y Piura (51.4%), all of which are located on the Peruvian coast.

The reactions on social networks were immediate.

Carlos Gonzales (@CarlosGonzalesG):

El Perú profundo, la nación cercada, se pronunció contra el continuismo. Ganó la dignidad. Ahora a vigilar a Humala. #elecciones2011

Jose Luis Alvarez (@alvarengo) celebrates:

Señora Fujimori, el Perú tiene memoria y dignidad y hoy le dijo NOOOO!!

Mónica Guerra (@guerravisada) warns:

La presión social y los grupos empresariales no dejarán respirar ni un segundo a Humala.

El Tuitero Allavoysinomecaigo (@Allavoysino) advises:

Ollanta debe romper la polarización. Demostrar que va a gobernar para todos. #peruvota #eleccionescaretas

Ben Solís (@bensolis) tries to tone it down:

Mírenlo por el lado amable. La primera presidenta no podía ser Keiko. Merecemos algo mejor.

A group of Twitter users expressed their total rejection of the result, like Daniel Barreno (@danielrazaxx):

Comprobado el 52.3 % del peru son unos cholos de mierda!!!

Andres Alain Ricardo (@FrappAndres):

toda esa gente debe morir en serio, que cagada, ojala mueran todos esos cholos d mela. T.T

These expressions in turn caused discomfort in others, like in Jano Lavalle (@tahuano):

Más q hacer unfollows, voy a sacar mucha gente de mi facebook. El racismo e intolerancia ahorita es INCREIBLE. Me deprime.

César Agurto (@cesar_agurto) notes:

Gente imbécil y racista poniendo ”mueran cholos”, ”indígenas”, ”me voy del país”….ASÍ SE QUEJAN? #pena

And users like Monicalsol (@monicasol_35) suggest:

hazles terapia de grupo…respiren…Lima no es el Peru…inhalen, exhalen…repitan…Lima no es el Peru…R… (cont) http://deck.ly/~uweX3

While awaiting the results of the official count at 100%, the big question is with whom will Gana Peru, Humala's party, make immediate political alliances, taking into account that it failed to get a majority in Congress. It is speculated that it could reach an understanding with Peru Posible, the party of former president Alejandro Toledo, who already has openly expressed his support in Humala's final campaign rally.

Former President Alejandro Toledo present at the closing campaign rally of Ollanta Humala. Photo: courtesy of Gana Peru Press.