President Fernández Voting in Buenos Aires: A Call to Defend Democracy

On Sunday (19), the second round of the presidential election in Argentina was held, with government candidate Sergio Massa and far-right opponent Javier Milei competing for the position of head of state starting from December 10th. In response to the election day, President Alberto Fernández called for respect for democracy.

“It’s another day when we Argentines vote and define our future. I wish it to be a day of happiness for Argentines,” Fernández told reporters shortly after casting his vote in the ballot box 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 determined by the Electoral Court to avoid answering questions from journalists present. The Argentine president only expressed his wish that “everything goes without doubt and calmly” in reference to comments made by Milei’s party about possible fraud in the elections. He also urged Argentines to “respect and take great care of democracy” before leaving amidst some timid greetings and applause from supporters who went to his polling place.

Although he kept a low profile during the campaign, Fernández will conclude his term on December 10th after deciding not to run for re-election. Approximately 35.8 million Argentines are eligible to vote today, with voting mandatory for citizens aged between 18 and 70 and optional for adults and teenagers aged 16 and 17 as well as residents abroad. In the first round, Massa obtained 36.78% of votes while Milei got 29.99%.