Argentina - October 2023
Argentina's Elections: Massa and Milei Head for Run-off
On 22 October, Argentina held its general elections with a turnout of 77.7 per cent (with compulsory voting from the age of 18). Peronist Economy Minister Sergio Massa and Javier Milei emerged as the leading presidential candidates, earning 36.7 per cent and 30 per cent of votes, respectively. Patricia Bullrich underperformed and was eliminated from the presidential race, securing only 23.8 per cent of the votes. The two frontrunners will face each other in a run-off on 19 November.
Alongside the presidential election, the composition of Argentina's Congress was also determined. Unión por la Patria (UxP), led by Massa, became the dominant party, securing 32 out of 72 seats in the Upper House and retaining 104 in the Lower House. Conversely, Juntos por el Cambio's (JxC) representation diminished. Javier Milei’s La Libertad Avanza (LLA) made significant progress, becoming the third largest bloc in Congress. The number of women representatives decreased from 117 to 111.
A preliminary report by Transparencia Electoral indicated the elections were conducted peacefully and democratically across the nation. Nonetheless, it underscores concerns about unequal competition, opacity in campaign financing, restricted media access for opposition, and misappropriation of public resources during campaigning.
Sources: Gobierno de Argentina, El País, El Cronista, Reuters , Buenos Aires Herald, Transparencia Electoral
