The Travel Chica

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A Foreigner’s Perspective on Argentina Elections

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I’m taking a break from the Odd Jobs series to write a short post about the Argentina presidential election that happened yesterday.  Being from the US, I found a few things odd about “the rules” and thought I’d share a foreigner’s perspective.

Odd Rules for Argentina Elections

1.  Voting is mandatory for all citizens.

In the US, the voter turnout rates are pathetic.  But I have said many times that I would prefer that people who do not care enough to register to vote stay away from the polls.  If they don’t care about the election, they probably are not going to educate themselves on the issues.

Note that I have also learned from other travelers that mandatory voting is not uncommon in other parts of the world (e.g. Australia).

2.  Elections are on a Sunday.

I assume that because voting is mandatory, elections are always held on a Sunday, since this day would cause the least disruption to business/ government.

3.  All alcohol sales stop after 8pm on the Saturday before an election and do not start again until 9pm on Sunday after the polls close.

I find this to be the strangest rule of all.  There might be riots in the streets in the US if this rule was enacted. 

Of course, it doesn’t take much to plan to buy a six-pack or some wine before 9pm.  But what surprises me the most is that bars have to close at 9pm and restaurants have to stop selling alcohol on what is most likely their busiest night of the week.

In my humble opinion, this rule does not prevent people from getting drunk and casting their vote (which is what I assume the government is trying to do).  It just hurts businesses.

Note that this rule must not be heavily enforced because I saw restaurants serving alcohol quite openly on Sunday.  But can you blame them if the majority of their clientele are expats that cannot vote?

4.  You can become president with a very low percentage of the vote.

There are many political parties in Argentina, and you end up with many candidates on the ballot (7 in this presidential election).  Argentina uses a runoff voting system.  If someone gets more than 45% of the vote, he or she wins.  Or if someone gets more than 40% of the vote and there is more than 10 percentage points separating him or her from the 2nd place candidate, it’s a win.

Otherwise, there is a runoff election with the top 2 candidates.  Imagine if you have 5 candidates, and the numbers are 25%, 20%, 20%, 20%, 15%.  The top two candidates have a runoff, and you end up with a president who only received either 25% or 20% of the original vote.

But then again…

I have never liked the 2-party system in the US.  You’re always choosing between the lesser of two evils, and you feel like you’re throwing your vote away if you vote for “the other guy.”

I admit that I am quite ignorant about political systems around the world.

It is not a topic that I would take any great interest in researching.  At least living in a foreign country long enough to learn a little about their political system has given me a new perspective.

All I know for sure is that I still don’t like politics.

What surprising things have you learned about political systems in foreign countries?

 

Comments

  2. Re: #1: if people are free, they should be free to NOT vote, too, right? Too many times, people say they support freedom, when really they just support people’s freedom to think they way THEY do.
    NLM recently posted..Dilemma #1

  3. Here in Australia voting is mandatory too. The alcohol ban wouldn’t go down here too well either but considering our last election resulted in a hung parliament and no government for two weeks while the politicians sorted out who was going to govern; an alcohol ban wouldn’t be a bad thing.

    The fact that you can become president with a very low percentage of the vote is a disturbing thing though. Usually this seems to benefit the right wing candidates who get in because of a low voter turnout or two many candidates on the left side of politics.

  5. Hola Stephanie! Muy interesante tu posting. En Panamá el sistema político funciona muy similar, las elecciones son los domingos, la venta de bebidas alcohólicas cierran 24 hrs antes. La diferencia es que el voto no es obligación ni tenemos una segunda vuelta.

    Espero estés muy bien, recuerda que Carnavales vienen pronto jajajaj, pero estoy seguro que Buenos Aires debe ser más entretenido que Ocú.

    Saludos de parte de Yvonne! – Tu familia Panameña

  6. I believe you can vote “blanco” if you want – ie vote, but choose nobody.

    And talking of elected by small percentages, in 2003 Cristina’s husband Nestor got through to the second round with 18% compared to his opponent’s 24%. Between the first and second rounds his opponent stepped down fearing humiliation in the final round so by default the Presidency was given to Nestor. Who had only got 18% of the national vote – so every little counts!
    Jonathan Evans recently posted..Porteño Corner – Wander Argentina meets Buenos Aires Local Tours

  7. There is nothing good about politics.
    When a country picks a president by elections, it is the closest thing that you can get too for a democracy.
    However it works out, politics and government are bad. Those that run in elections are power hungry people – because if they had any sense, they would know that politics is bad business.
    I cannot remember who it was, but one of the founding fathers (of the USA) got elected to office and readily admitted he was now a person that his constituents should fear.
    One of the few politicians that was honest.
    Cheers,
    John D. Wilson

  13. I totally agree that people who do not care enough to vote will not bother to educate themselves on the issues, therefore enforcing a mandatory vote makes little sense, and – as somebody else pointed out already – people who are really free should also have the choice NOT to vote if they wish. Of course these people then have little license to complain when they feel that things are not the way they want them to be. Thailand does indeed have similar alcohol laws during an election, except it is very likely that the sale of alcohol will be forbidden for a whole weekend as I once found out on a much looked-forward-to weekend trip to Bangkok :-(
    Runaway Brit recently posted..Why I Love Santiago

    • I also agree about people not having the right to complain if they didn’t vote.

      I hadn’t really thought about how annoying the stoppage of alcohol sales would be if you were visiting/ traveling and didn’t know to “prepare.” Luckily, I have my local sources to keep me aware of such important things :-)
      The Travel Chica recently posted..A Delicious Welcome Back to Buenos Aires

  14. I was in Ecuador and Peru during their mandatory elections a few months ago. They both claim a turnout of over 90%. Here in the “cradle of democracy” we have about 50% of elegible voters actually register and we feel we have a good turnout if more than half of those show up to cast a vote. I agree the system is totally broken…it’s just ironic how few people care enough to even try and influence the outcome with their vote in the U.S.

  15. We were in Ecuador during their census. it was done in ONE DAY and done by volunteer college students! Not only did they stop alcohol sales the night before and during the entire next day, they also mandated that everyone stay inside or else be arrested.
    Wendy recently posted..A Reunion in Jersey: Valley not Shore

    • Our paths almost crossed much sooner than Buenos Aires! I was in Ecuador a few days before the census. I remember our Spanish school telling us how everyone was required to stay inside, even tourists. If you had a flight you couldn’t take it because you wouldn’t be able to find a taxi. So strange!
      The Travel Chica recently posted..A Great Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires

  17. In Norway, there’s a law banning the sale of alcohol (in shops, not restaurants and bars, oddly) on election day as well. The reasoning is that the election should be taken seriously and be dignified. The conservative party wants to change that law, but I don’t think many consider this an important issue. One doesn’t have to register to vote. The official voting day is Monday, but it’s also possible to vote on Sunday. And online for a month before the election.
    Sophie recently posted..Murder and Mayhem in London through the Ages – Part 2: Execrable executions

  19. This sounds pretty much the same as in Chile. Although you only have to vote if you’re registered, and now the younger generations are chosing not to register so they don’t have to vote. Also, everyone has to vote at the same place every election and there is no absentee voting (if you are more than 200 Km away you have to go register with the Police to avoid a fine). Also they dye your finger purple to avoid people voting twice. Can foreigners vote in Argentina? I know in Chile after living here for a certain amount of time you can…
    Abby recently posted..Huh?

  20. I reckon if you were drunk you would make a better choice!! lol

    I hate that I have to vote here in Australia. Very undemocratic! But, I do find it sad that more Americans vote for American Idol than the PResident epecially since politics is always so widely talked about.

    I found it weird that alcohol was not allowed on the premises of a school grounds. If it was in my car i could have been fired and maybe arrested!! In Australia teachers usually go to the staff room on a Friday afternoon for a few beers together!
    Caz Makepeace recently posted..Sydney Harbour Bridge: Great viewing spots for photos

  22. That is a really good tip particularly to those new to the blogosphere.
    Brief but very accurate info… Many thanks for sharing this one.
    A must read post!
    Leland recently posted..Leland

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