The Chamber of Deputies last Tuesday sanctioned a drastic change in the national electoral system by approving the use of the single paper ballot (Boleta Única de Papel, BUP).
The initiative, jointly promoted by the ruling La Libertad Avanza, the centre-right PRO party, the UCR (Unión Cívica Radical) Radicals, the Encuentro Federal and Innovación Federal inland Peronist groupings and the Coalición Cívica (CC), drew 143 votes in favour, 87 against and five abstentions.
The opposition Unión por la Patria coalition accounted for the votes for rejection, as preannounced, while the five Frente de Izquierda leftists abstained.
More than two years after its first lower house passage (June 8, 2022), Tuesday’s vote was final. Lawmakers agreed to accept the amendments introduced by the Senate, which adopted the so-called “Mendoza model,” while not including the box allowing voters blanket approval of a complete list.
As from next year’s midterms, the new system will replace the traditional party ballot with the entire electoral offering on a single piece of paper. Following the Mendoza model, the seats and posts to be elected will be in horizontal rows with the political groupings vertically arranged.
The Senate eliminated the option of a single vote for a complete list, rejected by many provincial governors who feared national coat-tails crowding out their own candidates.
The switch has been some time coming. In 2022, the bill stalled in Congress, mostly due to the opposition of the previous Alberto Fernández administration to any changes to the electoral system.
The PRO caucus not only voted in favour but celebrated the triumph as its own: "After 17 years of struggle, headed by @slospennato [deputy Silvia Lospennato] we have managed to approve this bill which boosts democracy. Here we are, never giving up and still fighting for a freer and more transparent Argentina! Always @proargentina!"
PRO caucus chief Cristian Ritondo added that the single paper ballot system is a banner issue that has been porposed regularly by the party.
The initiative proposes condensing all the national electoral offers onto a single sheet of paper divided into horizontal rows for each category to be elected and into vertical columns or strips for each of the competing political groupings.
The reform aims at eradicating such evils of the party list system as the destruction of rival ballots in polling-booths and phantom parties submitting ghost lists of candidates merely in order to pick up the state subsidies for printing costs.
– TIMES/NA/PERFIL
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