Study: Scrapping Argentina's PASO primaries saved just US$9.5 million

A recent report from the Fundación Éforo think tank reveals that scrapping Argentina's PASO primaries for the 2025 midterm elections only saved approximately US$9.6 million, far less than the estimated US$200 million savings claimed by Interior Minister Diego Santilli. The study, titled "Electoral policies in Argentina: civic report," found that the national government allocated 468.083 billion pesos to political parties and electoral spending during the 2025 midterms, which was only slightly below the 482.561 billion pesos set aside for the 2021 midterms.

The difference between these two electoral processes amounted to 14.478 billion pesos, or around US$9.6 million at the current exchange rate. Despite holding a single electoral date instead of two, the spending remained only three percent more expensive in real terms. A significant factor preventing larger savings was a substantial rise in logistical costs, with the Argentine Post Office spending 225.113 billion pesos, representing 48 percent of the total electoral spending.

While the elimination of PASO primaries reduced spending on printing ballot papers, extraordinary campaign contributions, and security operations by 129.652 billion pesos, these savings were largely offset by the increased costs of logistics. The report also compared the 2025 midterms to the 2009 elections, held before the introduction of the PASO primaries, and found that the latter were 58 percent costlier in real terms.