On election day, November 19th, Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez called for respect and peaceful voting. He made this statement after casting his vote at a polling station located in the neighborhood of Puerto Madero, at the Catholic University. The president has been in office since December 10th, 2019, but he did not seek re-election this time around.
Fernandez asked that everyone vote without any doubt or interference from outside forces. He also urged Argentines to take care of democracy and to make their voices heard peacefully. Despite his reservations about answering questions from journalists present, Fernandez expressed hope that today would be a happy day for Argentinians as they exercise their right to vote and shape their future.
According to reports, over 35 million people have the right to vote today in Argentina’s presidential runoff between government candidate Sergio Massa and far-right challenger Javier Miley. Voting is compulsory for citizens aged 18 to 70 and optional for adults and teenagers aged 16 to 17, as well as for residents abroad. The two candidates reached the second round after Massa received nearly 37% of the votes in the first round and Miley received nearly 30%.