In the midst of the election day in which Sergio Massa and Javier Milei are competing for the presidency of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, the outgoing president, called for respect for democracy. “It’s another day when we Argentines vote and define our future,” he said after casting his vote at around 9:45 am at one of the polling stations at the Catholic University in Puerto Madero.
Fernández resorted to restrictions imposed by the Electoral Court to avoid answering questions from journalists present. He only expressed his hope that “everything goes without doubt and calmly” in reference to comments made by Milei’s party, A Liberdade Avança, about possible fraud in the elections. The president also urged Argentines to “respect and take great care of democracy” before leaving amidst some timid greetings and applause from some supporters who went to his polling place.
Today around 35.8 million Argentines are eligible to vote, 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. Massa obtained 36.78% of the votes in the first round while Milei got 29.99%, leading them into a second round battle for the presidency that will end on December 10th when Fernandez will conclude his term after choosing not to run for re-election.