Argentines vote in primary election ahead of presidential race

Buenos Aires, Aug 13 (EFE).- Argentine voters queued up outside polling stations on Sunday for a primary election to determine the candidates for the presidential race set in October.

Some 35.4 million Argentines are eligible to vote in the primary before the country elects its new president and vice president on Oct.22

More than 85,000 security forces are guarding more than 108,000 polling stations across the country.

Voting is compulsory in Argentina for all citizens between the ages of 18 and 70.

Each political party must secure at least 1.5 percent of the votes to be able to contest the general elections.

The primary will set the mood for the general elections and leave an indication on who is the favorite to take the presidency of the country battling a deep economic crisis.

Primaries were also held for provincial and municipal positions in Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos, and Catamarca provinces.

Argentina, where nearly half of the population is now below the poverty line, is facing a high annual inflation rate that climbed to nearly 116 percent in June.

Food prices soared more than any other category, rising 117 percent in 12 months despite attempts by President Alberto Fernandez’s administration to keep them in check. EFE

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