1946 Argentine general election

The Argentine general election of 1946, the last for which only men were enfranchised, was held on 24 February. Voters chose both the President and their legislators.

1946 Argentine general election

Presidential election
24 February 1946

376 members of the Electoral College
189 votes needed to win
Registered3,477,169
Turnout81.21%
 
Candidate Juan Domingo Perón José Tamborini
Party Labour Party Radical Civic Union
Alliance Radical Civic Union Renewal Board, Independent Party Democratic Union
Running mate Hortensio Quijano Enrique Mosca
Electoral vote 304 72
States carried 10 + CF 4
Popular vote 1,485,468 1,262,630
Percentage 53.71 45.65

Most voted party by province (left) and department (right).

President of Argentina before election

Edelmiro Julián Farrell

Elected President

Juan Perón
Labour Party

Legislative election
24 February 1946

158 seats in the Chamber of Deputies
80 seats needed for a majority
Turnout82.25%
Party % Seats
Labour Party 51.19% 109
Radical Civic Union 27.23% 44
National Democratic Party 7.64 3
Democratic Progressive Party 2.55 1
Blockist Radical Civic Union 0.49 1
Results by province
President of the Chamber of Deputies after
Ricardo Guardo
UCR-JR

Background

Conservative rule, maintained through electoral fraud despite a moderate record, was brought to an end in a June 1943 coup d'état. Barking "orders of the day" every morning on the radio, the new regime enjoyed little approval. The devastating 1944 San Juan earthquake presented an opportunity to regain lost goodwill and the regime moved quickly, involving the private sector through nationwide fund-raising, entrusted to the Labor Minister, Juan Perón. Perón enlisted celebrities for the effort, among which was a radio matinee star of middling talent, Eva Duarte, who introduced herself to the Labor Minister by remarking that "nothing's missing, except a touch of Atkinson's". The effort's success and the rise of his ally, Edelmiro Farrell, within the junta, led to Perón's appointment as vice-president, which he leveraged in support of Argentina's struggling labor unions, particularly the CGT.

Supporters of the Democratic Union gather on May Avenue in Buenos Aires. This 1945 alliance of conservatives and leftists was tenuously united only by its opposition to Perón.

Perón's sudden clout led to growing rivalry among his junta colleagues, who had him arrested on October 9, a surprise move outdone by CGT leaders like retail workers' leader Ángel Borlenghi, the slaughterhouses' Cipriano Reyes and Eva Duarte, herself. Organizing a mass (and, at times, violent) demonstration for his release on the Plaza de Mayo, their October 17, 1945, mobilization marked a turning point in Argentine history: the creation of the Peronist movement. Capitulating to the political winds, the junta bestowed presidential powers on Perón, who initiated his program of mass nationalizations of institutions such as the universities and Central Bank. Calling elections for February 1946, Perón's opposition hastily arranged an alliance, the Democratic Union. Many in the centrist Radical Civic Union were steadfastly opposed to this ad hoc union with conservatives and the left, an intrinsic burden compounded by a white paper scathingly critical of Perón released by the U.S. Ambassador, Spruille Braden. The report, accusing Perón of fascist ties, allowed him to marginalize the Democratic Union (and their distinguished, though disastrously-named nominees, José Tamborini and Enrique Mosca – the "tambourine and the fly"). He quickly reframed the argument as one between "Perón or Braden", making this his rallying cry and winning the 1946 elections handily.

Candidates for President

Results

President

Presidential
candidate
Vice Presidential
candidate
Party Popular vote Electoral vote
Votes % Votes %
Juan Domingo Perón Hortensio Quijano Labour Party - UCR Renewal Board - Independent Party 1,485,468 53.71 304 80.85
José Tamborini Enrique Mosca Democratic Union 1,207,178 43.65 72 19.15
No candidates National Democratic Party 43,499 1.57
Blockist Radical Civic Union 13,469 0.49
Santiago del Estero Radical Civic Union 12,362 0.45
Lencinist Radical Civic Union 3,918 0.14
Total 2,765,894 100
Positive votes 2,765,894 97.95
Blank votes 20,831 0.74
Invalid votes 15 0.00
Tally sheet differences 37,019 1.31
Total votes 2,823,759 100
Registered voters/turnout 3,477,169 81.21
Sources:[1][2]

Chamber of Deputies

Party Votes  % Seats
1946-1948
Seats
1946-1950
Total seats
Labour Party - UCR Renewal Board - Independent Party 1,439,243 51.19 54 55 109
Radical Civic Union (UCR) 765,620 27.23 22 22 44
National Democratic Party (PDN) 214,894 7.64 2 1 3
Socialist Party (PS) 139,186 4.95
Democratic Progressive Party (PDP) 71,731 2.55 1 1
Unity and Resistance (PC - PDP) 71,628 2.55
Communist Party (PC) 41,470 1.48
Liberal Party of Corrientes (PL) 16,107 0.57
Blockist Radical Civic Union 13,696 0.49 1 1
Santiago del Estero Radical Civic Union 12,791 0.45
Santa Fe Radical Civic Union 6,328 0.23
Autonomist Party of Corrientes (PA) 5,811 0.21
Labour Gathering Party (CO) 4,241 0.15
Lencinist Radical Civic Union 4,040 0.14
Provincial Defense - White Flag 3,937 0.14
Public Health Party 605 0.02
Total 2,811,328 100 79 79 158
Positive votes 2,811,328 98.29
Blank votes 22,525 0.79
Invalid votes 150 0.01
Tally sheet differences 26,130 0.91
Total votes 2,860,133 100
Registered voters/turnout 3,477,169 82.25
Sources:[1][2]

Results by province

Province Labour - UCR-JR - Indep. Radical Civic Union National Democratic Others
Votes  % Seats Votes  % Seats Votes  % Seats Votes  % Seats
Buenos Aires 440,419 54.93 28 260,342 32.47 14 50,815 6.34 50,269 6.27
Buenos Aires City 300,955 50.16 22 118,759 19.79 10 180,315 30.05
Catamarca 14,733 55.64 2 9,466 35.75 2,281 8.61
Córdoba 124,026 40.37 10 117,098 38.11 5 57,547 18.73 8,581 2.79
Corrientes 33,817 36.23 5 17,542 18.79 20,065 21.50 2 21,918 23.48
Entre Ríos 67,598 42.94 6 59,024 37.49 3 28,576 18.15 2,232 1.42
Jujuy 15,342 68.68 2 2,481 11.11 4,277 19.15 240 1.07
La Rioja 10,206 53.63 2 7,477 39.29 1,347 7.08
Mendoza 49,129 47.55 4 25,333 24.52 2 17,230 16.68 11,626 11.25
Salta 28,722 63.19 2 9,523 20.95 1 7,210 15.86
San Juan 15,970 33.28 2 7,281 15.17 9,821 20.46 14,920 31.09 1
San Luis 14,460 44.71 2 6,239 19.29 11,644 36.00 1
Santa Fe 194,792 56.51 13 71,872 20.85 5 78,059 22.64 1
Santiago del Estero 46,408 51.82 4 28,313 31.62 2 14,833 16.56
Tucumán 82,666 68.78 5 24,870 20.69 2 4,081 3.40 8,578 7.14
Total 1,439,243 51.19 109 765,620 27.23 44 214,894 7.64 3 391,571 13.93 2

Provincial Governors

Election of Provincial Governors
Elected: 14
Province Elected Party Map
Buenos Aires Domingo Mercante Labour Party
Catamarca Pacífico Rodríguez Labour Party
Córdoba Argentino Auchter UCR - Junta Renovadora
Corrientes Blas Benjamín de la Vega Unión Cívica Radical
Entre Ríos Héctor Domingo Maya Labour Party
Jujuy Alberto Iturbe UCR - Junta Renovadora
La Rioja José Francisco de la Vega UCR - Junta Renovadora
Mendoza Faustino Picallo UCR - Junta Renovadora
Salta Lucio Alfredo Cornejo Linares UCR - Junta Renovadora
San Juan Juan Luis Alvarado Labour Party
San Luis Ricardo Zavala Ortíz UCR - Junta Renovadora
Santa Fe Waldino Suárez Labour Party
Santiago del Estero Aristóbulo Mittelbach Labour Party
Tucumán Carlos Domínguez Labour Party

References

  1. Las Fuerzas Armadas restituyen el imperio de la soberanía popular: Las elecciones generales de 1946. Vol. Tomo II. Buenos Aires: Imprenta de la Cámara de Diputados. 1946.
  2. Amaral, Samuel (December 2018). Perón presidente: las elecciones del 24 de febrero de 1946 (PDF). Vol. Tomo 2. Sáenz Peña, Buenos Aires: Editorial de la Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero. ISBN 978-987-4151-57-5.

Online references

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