Argentina Election 2023: Argentinians Cast Ballots as Primary Election Polls Close

The polls have finally closed as the Argentina election primary will decide who gets to run ahead of the general elections in October in an election that might also see Argentina shifting to the right.

Polls opened at 8:00 AM (11:00 GMT) on Sunday, with results expected to come around 9 pm. While it would not ultimately decide who the next president of Argentina will be, Al Jazeera noted that the primary election often serves as a "giant dress rehearsal of the general election in October and giving a clear indication of who is the favorite to take the presidency."

It serves as a qualifier for the general election, with candidates needing a minimum of 15% of the vote to be allowed to run in October. The general election will then decide who the next president of Argentina will be, as current President Alberto Fernandez decided not to run for re-election.

He is currently experiencing dismal approval ratings as the country suffers from high inflation, rising poverty, and a rapidly depreciating currency.

Rising crime and Argentina's unraveling economy seems to be overshadowing the primary election so far, as heinous crimes are growing worse in the country, from a robbery that led to the death of an 11-year-old girl to a woman being killed by two motorcycle-riding thieves in the Buenos Aires province district of Lanus.

Who Are Running in the Argentina Election?

With President Fernandez officially out of contention, Economy Minister Sergio Massa is widely seen to be the one running for the incumbent party, according to the Associated Press. However, he is facing tough opposition.

The opposition to the current leftist government is being led by upstart right-wing populist candidate Javier Milei, an admirer of former US President Donald Trump and is seemingly mirroring his campaign strategies with a very anti-establishment message that has particularly resonated with the young.

Buenos Aires Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta is also running for president and is likely to go through to October. Another favorite to reach the general election is former Security Minister Patricia Bullrich.

The Associated Press noted that the campaign has largely been dominated by the sometimes-bitter contest between Bullrich and Larreta, who many see are two of the likeliest winners in the general election as both are using the "general anger at the government due to the country's economic malaise." Both are part of an opposition coalition that is gunning to change Argentina's leadership.

Argentina Election Partial Results

Bloomberg reported that over 70% of the votes have now been tallied and right-wing populist Javier Milei is leading with 31.75% of the vote. Meanwhile, Bullrich and Larreta, who have been butting heads on who should be the opposition coalition's candidate, have combined for 27.8% of the vote, with Bullrich leading against her rival for now.

As for the current ruling party's candidate, Massa has 26% of the vote as of writing. These candidates are seen to go through to the general election, though it is not clear who will run for the opposition coalition given the rivalry between Bullrich and Larreta.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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