The Chamber of Deputies approved this Tuesday the law that establishes the Single Paper Ballotmodifying the electoral system. The project obtained 143 votes in favor, 87 against and only 5 abstentions. The blocks that supported the proposal were Freedom Advanceshe PRO and the UCR.
This change promoted (although not drafted) by the ruling party, renew the way of voting. According to this sector, the decision would lower public costs of the elections and would encourage greater transparency. For its part, the opposition led by Union for the Homelandrejected the proposal defending the current system, which does not have a fraudulent record verified.
There will no longer be multiple party ballots when voting in the dark room, and starting in the next elections The State will be in charge of preparing the only ballot official. It will also print the posters with the complete lists so that they can be viewed when voting. Until the law is passed, each party had to take care of printing their ballots.
In addition, the parties They should not guard the ballots at each tablea usual situation of conflict in each election. Nor will they depend exclusively on their economic powers in the distribution of additional copies for campaigns or distributions.
On the other hand, it is established that all candidates will be represented more equitablysince Each party will have its own space on the ballot.
Defenders of this new system highlight a cost reductiona positive environmental impact by reducing paper printing, and the elimination of the strategy that focuses on create political parties just to be able to get paid the funds that National Electoral Directorate gives to each one in order for them to print their ballots.
In turn, they maintain that balance the situation between ruling parties and oppositions, as well as between new parties and broad parties, without any advantage. However, those who reject it warn increased chances of electoral fraud and manipulation through this system.
The composition of the Single Paper Ballot
This paper ballot condenses all electoral offer for national positions in a single form. It is divided into horizontal rows for each category and each of the positions, and in vertical columns for each postulated group.
The voter will select only one option for each category, checking in the empty box with which each section and alliance will be arranged. If a political group does not present candidates in any of the categories, the registration will be included there. “No candidate presented”.
The vote can be canceled If two or more boxes are checked, and blank no box is checked. There will be no box other than “blank vote.”
On the other hand, the lists of candidates must be accompanied by signs or posters that will be available in each voting booth. These must have prominent visibility.
How to vote next year
The citizen who comes to vote will do so as always, entering the dark room, although only with the Single Paper Ballot in your hands. This will be delivered by the authorities of your table.
Once in the dark room, a pen is used to mark the chosen candidates. The ballot is placed in the envelope, and when it comes out it is placed in the ballot box, as is usually done.
This system will be implemented only in national positions. Then, each province will maintain its local system for its own elections, whether it is the current one or the one it wishes to implement. This means that separate ballot boxes and forms will be used.
The model is currently used in Mendoza
The project had already been promoted in the province of Mendoza, by the then governor Rodolfo Suarez. There, the system It was implemented in 2023 and debuted in the Simultaneous and Mandatory Open Primaries (STEP), and then repeat in the elections that marked the triumph of Alfredo Cornejo.
For this reason, Mendoza leaders express its usefulness and defend the Single Paper Ballot initiative. In fact, Suárez celebrated that the model used in his management has been applied.
“It promotes equity in electoral competition; it provides transparency and agility to the process; it guarantees the provision of ballots throughout the voting; it reduces electoral spending; and it eliminates certain electoral tricks, such as the theft of ballots,” he highlighted.
Then he pointed out: “For us, the experience of the Single Ballot was very positive. We had staggered elections, for some municipalities first, and then provincial ones. There were municipal PASO, general municipal PASO, provincial PASO and general provincial ones. The voting process was greatly accelerated. Not needing a dark room, you had two boxes per table, so it went much faster; “People got used to it quickly.”
Source: Ambito
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