Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

As early December 2020, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina prompted discussions on whether the 2021 elections, as well as the Open, Simultaneous and Mandatory Primaries (PASO) should be delayed and rescheduled. A majority of provincial governors (both from the governing Frente de Todos as well as from opposition parties), initially suggested scrapping the PASO primaries altogether.^[4] The Juntos por el Cambio-led opposition in Congress, however, opposed the measure and introduced a bill to forbid the national government from cancelling the primaries.^[5] The national executive, led by President Alberto Fernández, initially supported the measure,^[17] but later reached an agreement with Juntos por el Cambio to reschedule both the primaries and the legislative election for a month later.^[18] The new electoral calendar was published on 4 August 2021: the PASO primaries, originally scheduled for 8 August 2021, were rescheduled for 11 September 2021, while the legislative election, originally scheduled for 24 October 2021, were rescheduled for 14 November 2021.^[1][19]

In order to hold both elections, in which the all citizens between the ages of 18 and 70 are legally obligated to vote,^[20] the government and the National Electoral Chamber established a safety protocol which included a 30% increase of voting places and the vaccination of all electoral authorities.^[21] In addition, those who may exhibit COVID-19 symptoms or were in close contact with a positive case may be exempt from voting.^[22]

Chamber of Deputies

The 257 members of the Chamber of Deputies are elected by proportional representation in 24 multi-member constituencies based on the provinces (plus the City of Buenos Aires). Seats are allocated using the d'Hondt method with a 3% electoral threshold.^[23] In this election, 127 of the 257 seats are up for renewal for a four-year term.^[24]

Senate

The 72 members of the Senate are elected in the same 24 constituencies, with three seats in each. The party receiving the most votes in each constituency wins two seats, with the third seat awarded to the second-placed party.^[25] The 2021 elections will see one-third of Senators renewed, with eight provinces electing three Senators; Catamarca, Chubut, Córdoba, Corrientes, La Pampa, Mendoza, Santa Fe and Tucumán.^[24]

Primary elections

Open primary elections for legislative posts were held nationwide on 12 September. With this system, all parties run primary elections on a single ballot. All parties must take part in it, both the parties with internal factions and parties with a single candidate list. Citizens may vote for any candidate of any party, but may only cast a single vote. The candidate receiving the most votes, of each party gaining 1.5% or higher of the valid votes advances to the general election.^[26][27]

The results were largely negative for the governing Frente de Todos,^[28] which received around 30% of the popular vote nationwide and lost in traditionally Peronist-leaning provinces such as Buenos Aires, Chaco, La Pampa, Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego.^[29] With a nationwide aggregate of 42%, Juntos por el Cambio was the most voted alliance in 16 out of 23 provinces and in the City of Buenos Aires, while local parties won in Neuquén (MPN) and Río Negro (JSRN).^[30] Nationwide, the Workers' Left Front was the third-most voted alliance, with exceptionally good results in Jujuy (23.31%), the City of Buenos Aires (6.23%) and Buenos Aires Province (5.22%).^[31] In fourth place were the libertarian fronts "Avanza Libertad" and "La Libertad Avanza", which competed in Buenos Aires Province and the City of Buenos Aires (respectively) and received 6.85% of the vote overall, with a particularly strong result in the City, where the front became the third-largest force.^[32]

With a turnout of 66.21%, the 2021 primaries had the lowest participation since the implementation of the PASO system in 2011, and were the least-concurred nationwide elections since the return of democracy in 1983.^[33]

Chamber of Deputies

At a press conference, the Minister of the Interior, Eduardo de Pedro, said electoral participation was around 71.72% of the electoral roll, a rise of five points compared to the 67% participation in the PASO, a historical minimum in those kinds of choices.^[34]

Argentina's main opposition party, Together for Change, was seen as the big winner of the election, gaining 42.13% of the vote and 61 out of the 127 seats.^[7][8] The Justicialist Party suffered big losses as its coalition lost its majority in the Senate for the first time since the return of democracy in 1983, as well as being defeated in its historical stronghold province of Buenos Aires.^[9][10] Frente de Todos only gathered 34.17% of the vote, winning 50 out of the 127 seats, 11 seats behind Juntos por el Cambio. Observers attributed the loss to the widespread anger over high inflation and rising poverty.^[11][12] FIT-U won 5.53 of the vote and 4 seats, an increase of 2 seats. Federal Consensus lost 3 seats, winning only 3 seats and 5.51% of the vote.^[35]

Senate

In the senate, Together for Change won 14 out of 24 seats available, making an increase of 5. Frente de Todos lost 4 seats, gathering only 9 seats. The last available seat went to Federal Consensus with FIT-U gaining none.^[35]