On Sunday (19), as Argentines went to the polls to decide who will replace President Alberto Fernández from December 10th, the president called for respect for democracy. “It’s another day when we Argentines vote and define our future,” he told reporters after casting his vote at around 9:45 am in one of the polling stations at the Catholic University, located in the Puerto Madero neighborhood, in the south of Buenos Aires.
Fernández resorted to restrictions set by the Electoral Court, which have been in effect since Friday morning (18), and did not answer any questions from journalists present. He only expressed hope that everything would go smoothly and calmly, referring to comments made by Javier Milei’s party about possible fraud in the elections. The president asked Argentines to “respect and take great care of democracy” before leaving amidst some timid greetings and applause from his supporters who came to his polling place.
After keeping a low profile during the election campaign, Fernández is wrapping up his term on December 10th after deciding not to run for re-election. Around 35.8 million Argentines are eligible to vote today, with voting being mandatory for citizens aged between 18 and 70 and optional for adults and teenagers aged 16 and 17, as well as for residents abroad. In the first round held on October 24th, Sergio Massa obtained 36.78% of the votes while Javier Milei got 29.99%. The two candidates are now facing off in a second round election that is expected to be closely watched around the world.