Argentina debuted a major electoral overhaul in Sunday’s midterm elections with the successful implementation of a Single Paper Ballot system, replacing the decades-old, corruption-prone method of individual party ballots. The reform was a key promise of President Javier Milei, who made election integrity a central pillar of his administration.
Until this election, Argentina required each political party to print and distribute its own ballots, funded by taxpayers. This system left elections vulnerable to manipulation. Cases of ballot theft and tampering—especially in tight races—were widespread, sometimes leaving voters unable to cast their vote for a preferred candidate when ballots went missing.
During the 2023 presidential runoff, for instance, a 16-year-old was arrested for attempting to steal large numbers of Milei’s ballots from a voting room. Despite legal penalties for ballot tampering, enforcement proved inconsistent. The reform effort had stalled in Congress for decades until President Milei pushed it through in October 2024.
The new Single Paper Ballot (BUP) system uses a single, government-printed document listing all political parties and candidates. Voters mark their selection with a pen and place the folded ballot in the box. The reform was supported with online simulators and educational tools to ensure voters understood the new process.
The midterm elections saw voters fill 127 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 24 in the Senate. Milei’s Liberty Advances party scored a dominant victory, gaining 64 new seats in the Chamber, bringing its total to 101 when counting allies. In the Senate, Liberty Advances now holds 20 seats.
The successful rollout of the new system played a key role in ensuring electoral transparency. Argentine media praised the reform, noting no reported irregularities or ballot theft. The vote count was swift, and null votes remained within expected margins for a first-time system.
In his victory speech, Milei credited the new ballot with restoring trust in the process. He stated, “We said we were going to do it, and we did it, because we are in favor of a transparent democratic system.”
Officials hailed the reform as a safeguard against electoral fraud and a model of efficiency. Guillermo Francos, Chief of Cabinet of Ministers, called the BUP system a “guarantee of transparency and efficiency.”
Milei’s electoral reforms now stand as a signature achievement, reinforcing both his mandate and his commitment to dismantling Argentina’s failed socialist legacy.
