Argentina’s 2027 election could draw fewer voters, national deputy Nicolás Massot said, citing demographic change and what he described as weaker political engagement among younger voters after President Javier Milei’s 2023 victory.
Massot, a Buenos Aires Province representative for Encuentro Federal in the Chamber of Deputies, made the forecast in an interview with Jorge Fontevecchia on Modo Fontevecchia and Radio Perfil. He cited no polling or turnout model for his assessment.
He argued that some people who voted in 2023 may have died, while others may have reached an age at which missing an election carries no penalty. Argentina’s National Electoral Directorate (DINE) says voters aged 16 or 17 and those older than 70 are not penalized for missing an election. Massot also said younger people who supported Milei in 2023 have since become less engaged, a view the interview did not substantiate with polling.
Provisional official results put participation at 76.53% in the Oct. 22, 2023, general election. The DINE says the tally did not include votes cast abroad or votes cast by people deprived of liberty.
Massot also predicted a Peronist recovery and called for a lasting third political option. He said such an alternative should value social dignity while retaining an emphasis on work and individual merit. The official final count gave Unión por la Patria 36.78% and Milei’s La Libertad Avanza 29.99% in the 2023 presidential first round.
The PASO, Argentina’s open, simultaneous and mandatory primaries for national candidates, also figure in the debate over the next election. The National Electoral Chamber (CNE) says they determine candidates for national offices. Law 27.783 suspended the primaries for 2025 only.
TN reported Sunday, Oct. 18, that the government had delayed further Senate consideration of a proposal to suspend the PASO in 2027 while it sought sufficient support.
