Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

All Peruvians who were left homeless after the August 15 earthquake last year and who live in the region of Ica will be exempt from paying fines for not having voted.

Peru's congress approved a legislative decree, which was published in the country's official gazette El Peruano, stating that the citizens living in the region of Ica as well as in the provinces of Huancavelica and Lima would not be fined if they had not voted in past elections.

It was reported that the new decree exonerates citizens living in this region and these provinces, which were declared in a state of emergency after the earthquake, from paying fines which may have been imposed on them if they had not voted in the last elections.

Furthermore, the legislative decree states that citizens, who had been fined for not fulfilling tasks assigned to them by the government during election days would also be exempt from paying.

The new decree will no affect those that have already paid fines, however. It was clarified that those who had paid these fines would not receive a reimbursement.

Under mandatory voting laws, Peruvian citizens are fined between 17 and 68 soles for not voting and up to 170 soles for not fulfilling responsibilities assigned by the government during elections.

Such responsibilities include collecting ballots, supervising voting booths, registering voters etc.