On Sunday, August 11th, 2013, I voted for the first time ever in Argentina. How did that happen? Well, as I’ve mentioned before, I was born here but moved to the United States when I was five. Over time, I went from being a U.S. resident to a U.S. citizen. Even so, I consider myself 100% American.
Argentine law requires all its citizens to vote, including Argentine-Americans like me. That’s fine because I plan to stay in Argentina for a few years, and whatever happens politically here will affect both my spouse and me. So, I wanted to add my voice — and I did.
When I arrived at my designated voting area, there was a major backup of cars on the narrow neighborhood streets.
I headed into the building, which was a school, and walked up to the voting table assigned to me. How did I know which table to go to? There’s a website that lists your name, your voting location, and the specific table where you should check in.
After I checked in, I was given an empty envelope and told to go into a room. At first, I was confused because I expected computerized ballots — the last U.S. election I voted in used those. I guess I jumped the gun with my expectations about the voting system here.
Inside, there was a table with flyers. Each flyer represented a political party. I already knew who I wanted to vote for since I’d done research before the election. So, I grabbed the flyer for my chosen party, folded it, and placed it inside the envelope.
Then I had to use spit to seal the envelope — which was pretty gross! I’d forgotten how nasty envelope glue tastes. Too bad I couldn’t just email my vote.
With the sealed envelope in hand, I left the room and headed back to the table. For a moment, I wasn’t sure what to do next, but the people there were kind and helpful.
I slipped my sealed voting envelope into the ballot box. Then I signed my name and received a voting slip. I have to keep this slip for six months until the voting records are updated to confirm that I voted.
Why is this slip so important? Like I said, voting is taken seriously in Argentina. If I want to apply for a credit card or even a job, I need to show proof that I voted. You can also be fined if you don’t vote.
I’d like to point out that if, for any reason, a voter doesn’t agree with any of the nominees, they can submit an empty envelope as their vote. However, the voter still has to show up in person on election day.
This election was a preliminary round to narrow down the candidates. I’ll vote again this October for whoever is left standing.
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