Key Points
- Argentinians in Australia are raising concerns about how their voting patterns have been recorded.
- Máximo Gowland, ambassador of Argentina in Australia says "there have been cases" and that the upload of that data may have errors.
- Although more than 17,000 Argentines live in Australia, voting by mail was eliminated and there is only the option of voting in person at the Sydney consulate, which could pose difficulty for those who live in other Australian cities and towns.
As the results of the Argentine election are finalised, community members in Australia have raised concerns about how their voting patterns have been recorded.
The runoff ballot on Sunday, which followed the general election on 22 October, saw Argentina’s Economy Minister Sergio Massa concede defeat to populist Javier Milei.
While voting in the fiercely polarised presidential runoff was compulsory, postal voting for those living overseas was not available.
This has meant that Argentines living temporarily in Australia who had not registered to vote as residents outside of the country, had to justify why they could not cast their ballots.
When Argentine Alicia*, who has lived in Australia for four years, went online to justify why she couldn't cast her vote in this year's primary ballot in August, she reviewed the previous years in which she also couldn't vote.
“I thought I would have a lot of fines accumulated because it was the first time I had a look," she told SBS Spanish.
I felt it was a violation of our rights.Alicia*, Argentinian woman living in Australia
“But I didn't have a single fine, it showed that I had voted in the elections prior to this one, (in 2021) when in reality I had not because I was here in Australia."
After thinking that she was "reading the wrong information" Alicia said she felt overwhelming "anger and helplessness" as she studied the details on the screen which she said were "not factual".
"I felt it was a violation of our rights," she said.
SBS Spanish was able to verify Alicia's story, as well as that of Aurora*, another Argentine living in Australia who also wished to hide her identity.
Aurora was in Argentina on September 12, 2021, when the primary elections were held to decide which candidates would contest the November legislative elections.
Screenshot illustrating the 'record of offenders'.
When Aurora went online to explain why she couldn't vote, she also discovered the same anomaly.
"I started to investigate why the web page said 'you are not an offender', which is what appears when you go to vote and they told me that this also appears when you pay the fine, but I had never paid any fine.
It makes you feel a lot of anguish because you think, 'it is the future of my country, but it seems that we have no voice.Aurora*, Argentinian living in Australia
“They had recorded that I voted when I had not done so.
“It makes you feel a lot of anguish because you think, 'it is the future of my country, but it seems that we have no voice'.”
Argentina's ambassador to Australia Máximo Gowland told SBS Spanish that he had followed up these incidents with authorities in Buenos Aires.
“There have been cases,” he acknowledged, and explained that, “the 'registry of offenders' is an independent list that is created from the information that is received".
"The upload of that data may have errors," he added.
Ambassador of Argentina to Australia, Máximo Gowland.
When asked how a person can ascertain if it was a computer glitch, the ambassador urged that those affected request through the consulate in Sydney "a more in-depth investigation to verify the information with the registry of Argentina to determine whether or not that person appears on the polling station forms, where the names and signatures of those who have voted appear".
There have been cases (...) The upload of that data may have errorsMáximo Gowland, Ambassador of Argentina to Australia
Difficulties with voting in Australia
A number of Argentines in Australia complained that it was not easy for those registered abroad to vote in their country's elections.
Although more than 17,000 Argentines live in Australia, voting by mail was eliminated and there is only the option of voting in person at the Sydney consulate, which posed difficulty for those living in other Australian cities and towns.
According to data from the Argentine embassy in Canberra, 6,300 Argentines are on the consulate register, and only 325 voted in the general elections of 22 October.
Luz, an Argentine resident in Australia, attempted to vote in the October elections, but couldn't despite asking to be included in the registry in March.
She explained that consulate staff “gave her a chance to register", but in 2024.
"This is embarrassing, there is no other way to describe it,” Luz said.
Mr Gowland said the consulate "gave priority" to those who had to complete the registration process and that consulate staff “took shifts” to facilitate the service.
The ambassador said he was aware of the concerns around the lack of consular presence around Australia and recognised the importance of reinstating postal voting.
“It is a shame and very sad that after having fought so hard to recover our democracy, Argentines around the world are unable to exercise their right to vote,” Luz concluded.
* Identity withheld at the individual's request.
