Voter heads to polling station, raising concerns among election officers regarding the tardiness and shape of the latest paper ballot design.
On October 1, 2024, a significant meeting took place at the Casa Rosada, attended by magistrate Alejo Ramos Padilla, federal judges, and various authorities. The main objective of the gathering was to strengthen institutional coordination and delve into the implementation of the Single Paper Ballot (SPB) for the upcoming national elections on October 26.
The SPB, an amendment introduced by Law 27.781 and approved by the Chamber of Deputies, encompasses all categories of offices, political parties, and alliances that can be elected in a national electoral act. The meeting in the Heroes of Malvinas room of the government headquarters was attended by 18 of the 24 federal judges with electoral jurisdiction.
During the discussion, the judges expressed concerns about the implementation of the SPB, particularly regarding the companies responsible for printing the Single Paper Ballots. However, the government specified that 11 companies will be in charge of printing the SPB, most of them located in Buenos Aires province.
The meeting was led by the Vice-Chief of the Interior Cabinet, Lisandro Catálan, along with officials from the Subsecretariat of Political Affairs and the National Electoral Directorate (DINE). Catálan stated that the Single Paper Ballot was an achievement of the entire political system, emphasizing its potential to equip Argentine citizens and Argentine democracy with a more transparent, efficient, and equal system.
Leandro Luis Luppi and Alina Daniela Sayal were Ramos Padilla's electoral secretaries present, while Giselle Castelnuovo and Luz Landívar represented as authorities. Daniel Bejas, Alberto Dalla Via, and Santiago Corcuera participated from the National Electoral Chamber.
Bejas, in particular, emphasized the importance of those in charge of the electoral process being listened to. Some judges also expressed doubts about the operability of the mail system during the meeting. However, the officials committed to providing further information from the following day.
Despite the concerns raised, the meeting concluded without any further incidents, and the participants left the Casa Rosada without further information. It is expected that official announcements regarding the companies responsible for printing the Single Paper Ballots will be made as the elections approach.
As of June 2024, such specific information about companies printing ballots in Argentina is typically controlled by the country's electoral authority, Justicia Electoral, and is rarely publicly detailed by company names for security and confidentiality reasons. Therefore, it is recommended to consult official Argentine governmental or electoral commission releases or credible news outlets reporting on the election logistic preparations closer to the election date.
The Buenos Aires Electoral Board will now be responsible for defining the changes in the voting circuits rejected by the National Electoral Chamber, as decided during the meeting at Casa Rosada. The implementation of the Single Paper Ballot marks a significant step towards modernising Argentina's electoral system, and the upcoming national elections will serve as a testament to its effectiveness.
- The Single Paper Ballot, a policy-and-legislation amendment approved by the Chamber of Deputies, is expected to be implemented in the upcoming national elections, playing a crucial role in the politics of Argentina.
- During a significant meeting at the Casa Rosada, concerns about the companies responsible for printing the Single Paper Ballots arose, highlighting the need for transparency and general-news updates on this matter as the elections approach.
