The Buenos Aires Legislature set the date for the legislative elections for the next May 18, following the approval of the law that suspends the Open, Simultaneous, and Mandatory Primaries (PASO) at the local level. This decision is part of the cancellation of the PASO nationwide, in line with the direction set by Congress.
Jorge Macri, head of Government of the City of Buenos Aires, was the proponent of the project to suspend the PASO at the local level, which was approved in extraordinary sessions with 55 votes in favor, 3 against, and 1 abstention. The Deputy Head of Government and President of the Legislature, Clara Muzzio, officialized the date of the Buenos Aires elections, highlighting that the suspension of the primaries implies significant savings of more than $20 billion.
In this context, Jorge Macri expressed in a press conference while presenting the "2025 Agenda Buenos Aires First," that the money saved by suspending the PASO will be allocated to other management priorities. This year, 30 seats in the Legislature will be renewed, half of the chamber, using the Electronic Unique Ballot (BUE) system for local positions.
The City of Buenos Aires chooses to exclusively maintain the BUE for the upcoming local elections, after experiencing logistical issues in 2023 with a mixed system implemented for the PASO. Thus, the electoral calendar for 2025 is on track with split legislative elections and no PASO, generating debate around the costs and efficiency of the local electoral system.
