Argentina’s Single-Paper Ballot Clears Debut, Training Gaps Emerge

Overview

• Law 27.781 enabled nationwide use of the Boleta Única de Papel in the October 26 legislative elections, which ran without major issues and delivered on-time provisional results.
• The definitive count shows unusually high blank votes where two categories were on the same ballot, with Chaco and Salta topping 10% and larger blanks recorded for Deputies than for Senate.
• Analysts, including former national electoral director Alejandro Tulio, attribute the blank-vote pattern to limited voter training rather than ballot design flaws.
• Electoral authorities and most parties praised the debut for curbing partisan ballot manipulation and lowering printing and environmental costs compared with the old multi-sheet system.
• Civil-society groups that supported the reform are calling for expanded training and possible design refinements, with a formal 2026 review and provincial rollouts planned for 2027 in Chubut and Entre Ríos.