Around 85,000 members of Argentina’s Armed Forces and Security Forces are set to oversee the upcoming PASO primary elections this Sunday.
This deployment has been confirmed by the Armed Forces Joint Chiefs of Staff (Emco).
During the 1982 Falklands War, Argentina deployed roughly 13,000 troops to the islands, which is 6.5 times fewer than what is needed for this election.
This extensive operation will include members from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, along with National Gendarmerie officials, Naval Prefecture, Federal Police, Airport Security Police, and Provincial Police.
The entire operation will be under the command of Brigadier General Jorge Fabián Berredo, appointed as the General Electoral Commander.
The Emco added that the ground support for the elections would comprise 3,100 vehicles, a “Hercules” C-130 plane, 12 helicopters, three boats, and about 100 mules for transporting ballot boxes in mountainous regions.
The operation covers all 17,432 polling stations nationwide, emphasizing the scale and decentralized nature of the security efforts.
This security measure extends to voting locations, ballot storage sites, custody during transport by Argentine Mail services, and ballot counting venues.
In addition, to ensure citizens’ voting rights and accessibility, public bus and train services will be made free in 22 out of the 24 electoral districts this Sunday, according to the Minister of Transport, Diego Giuliano.
Only two provinces, Jujuy (north) and Tierra del Fuego (south), won’t offer free public transportation on election day due to differing jurisdictions and policies.
For this PASO, a total of 35,405,013 citizens are eligible to vote.
There are 22 presidential contenders from 15 political groups vying for a place in the general elections slated for October 22.
Participation in PASO is mandatory, and to qualify for the October elections, candidates need at least 1.5% of the total votes.
The upcoming general elections in October will decide 43 Mercosur parliamentarians, 24 national senators, and 130 national deputies.