Overview
- Víctor Yampi Vargas, 101, voted at the Universidad Nacional de San Agustín in Arequipa on Sunday, arriving in a wheelchair with his son and telling young people to keep taking part in elections.
- Reporters confirmed a separate case of José Santos Fernández, 103, who also voted in Chota province, Cajamarca, and both appearances drew public attention and admiration at polling places.
- Large polling sites such as the Universidad Nacional San Luis Gonzaga in Ica recorded many voters over 70 but also saw problems, including an elderly woman forced to walk more than 40 minutes across campus and reports of missing wheelchairs and limited on-site help.
- Peruvian law makes voting mandatory only for citizens aged 18 to 70, so the centenarians voted voluntarily and their actions were framed by families and media as symbolic appeals to civic duty.
- Coverage tied these votes to longer personal histories—Yampi said he has voted since 1945 and worked on national railways—and suggested the spotlight on centenarian turnout could prompt closer enforcement of ONPE accessibility protocols at sprawling university polling sites.