Argentines Today Elect the President for the Period 2023-2027

On Sunday, 35.8 million Argentinians will choose their president for the 2023-2027 term in a runoff in which the contenders are the Economy Minister Sergio Massa and the far-right candidate Javier Milei.

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The National Electoral Chamber (CNE) installed 106,160 polling stations to accommodate citizens from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm local time. Voting is mandatory for citizens aged 18 to 70 and optional for those over 71, adolescents aged 16 and 17, and residents abroad.

These elections unfold in an atmosphere of tension fueled by the Argentine far-right. On Saturday, the CNE dismissed allegations of potential fraud in the elections made by Milei's party, Freedom Advances.

Sebastian Schimmel, the Electoral Performance Secretary of the CNE, stated that these accusations are "completely unfounded, as they are not even supported by arguments. Nevertheless, they create an atmosphere that aims to instill mistrust."

"There is no complaint or incident justifying such concern," Schimmel remarked regarding fraud suspicions, emphasizing that the Argentine electoral process is surrounded by safeguards and is "robust."

He also reminded that during the initial electoral round, there were no irregularities, except for a few specific cases that did not impact the final outcome.

Following this statement, representatives of the ruling coalition Union for the Homeland (Peronism) and the far-right Freedom Advances met with CNE judges to "preserve democratic coexistence."

"We just want to ensure that precautions are taken, and everything unfolds smoothly," said Freedom Advances representative Santiago Viola on Friday after appearing before the electoral prosecutor, Ramiro Gonzalez.

Previously, on Thursday, Freedom Advances accused the Border Police of altering the content of ballot boxes and voting records in the first round on October 22, where Massa secured 37 percent of the votes, and Milei gained 30 percent.

In the accusation presented to electoral judge Maria Romilda Servini, the far-right party admitted that the information about the alleged fraud originated from social media and "unidentified sources."

Viola explained that "no evidence was presented" because it wasn't a complaint against any security forces, expressing confidence that they "work in the best possible way." Milei's party has also been spreading the idea of a supposed ballot theft without presenting any evidence.