Ballotage in Argentina

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Daniel Scioli and Mauricio Macri had a ballotage in the 2015 presidential elections.

The ballotage system is included in the Constitution of Argentina. It was added by the 1994 amendment, as part of the negotiations between Raúl Alfonsín and President Carlos Menem.

Unlike the usual system, the Argentine ballotage does not require candidates to win to more than 50% of the vote. It is required to either win with 45% of the vote, or with 40% of the vote and a difference of 10% with the second candidate. Lower level Argentine districts, such as the city of Buenos Aires, included the ballotage in their local constitutions, but with the standard requirements.

The amended constitution has been in force during the presidential elections of 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015. The 2003 election had a result that required a ballotage: 24.45% for Carlos Menem and 22.24% for Néstor Kirchner. However, Menem resigned, and Kirchner was automatically appointed president. The 2015 elections, with both candidates in a tie of nearly 35%, also required a ballotage.

In the first runoff voting ever held for an Argentine presidential election, opposition leader and Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri narrowly defeated FPV candidate and Buenos Aires Province Governor Daniel Scioli, with the first obtaining 51.34% of the votes and the second receiving 48.66%.