Polls close in Argentina and the lowest participation is recorded since the return to democracy

This Sunday at 6:00 p.m. (11:00 p.m., Spanish peninsular time), voting hours for the general elections in Argentina have concluded with a participation of at least 74 percent at closing time, above the figures for the primary elections. , open, simultaneous and mandatory (PASO) in August, according to data from the National Electoral Chamber.

The first results will be known around 10:00 p.m., according to the electoral authorities, who have highlighted that there may still be voters waiting in line to exercise their right, since the legislation provides that a polling station cannot be closed until those who were waiting finish voting. within the centers.

The Secretary General of the Presidency, Julio Vitobello, reported the participation minutes after the scheduled closing time.. “The elections have taken place completely normally (…). According to information from the Electoral Chamber, 74 percent of the voters voted,” he indicated.

In the absence of confirmation as to whether or not participation increases with these lagging voters, participation is the lowest in general elections – both in the first and second rounds – since the return to democracy.

Until now, the lowest figure had been recorded in 2007, when 76.20% of the electoral roll went to the polls in the first round, the only one that was necessary on that occasion to confirm the victory of the Peronist Cristina Fernández, who replaced her husband, Néstor Kirchner (2003-2007), took office.

The highest participation was in 1983, in the first democratic elections after the dictatorship (1976-1983), when 85.61% went to the polls to give victory to the radical candidate Raúl Alfonsín.

Some 35.4 million Argentines were summoned this Sunday to elect president and vice president, and also renew 130 of the 257 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 24 of the 72 in the Senate, and appoint 43 Argentine representatives to the Mercosur Parliament (Parlasur , legislative body of the bloc made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay).

The candidate who achieves 45 percent of the votes or 40 percent with a 10-point advantage over the next most voted option will be elected president.. Otherwise, there will be a second round between the two most voted on November 19.

The candidate of Unión por la Patria (UxP), Sergio Massa, is fighting for the highest position in the country; the candidate of La Libertad Avanza (LLA), Javier Milei; the candidate of We Do for Our Country (HpNP), Juan Schiaretti; the candidate of Together for Change (JxC), Patricia Bullrich, and the candidate of the Left Front and Workers-Unity (FIT-U), Myriam Bregman.