1951 Argentine general election

1951 Argentine general election

Presidential election
11 November 1951
Registered	8,613,998
Turnout	88.16%
Nominee Juan Perón Ricardo Balbín Party Peronist Party Radical Civic Union Running mate Hortensio Quijano Arturo Frondizi States carried 24 + CF 0 Popular vote 4,745,168 2,415,750 Percentage 63.51% 32.33%
Most voted party by province.
President before election Juan Perón Peronist Party Elected President Juan Perón Peronist Party
Legislative election
11 November 1951
149 seats in the Chamber of Deputies 11 non-voting delegates in the Chamber of Deputies 30 seats in the Senate
Turnout	88.23%
Party Vote % Seats Chamber of Deputies Peronist Party 62.21% 135 Radical Civic Union 33.27% 14 Senate Peronist Party % 30 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

General elections were held in Argentina on 11 November 1951. Voters chose both the President of Argentina and their legislators. This was the first election in the country to have enfranchised women at the national level. Turnout was around 88%.

Background

President Juan Perón (1895–1974) had become President for the first time in June 1946. His popularity was riding high following five years of social reforms and a vigorous public works program, but he faced intensifying opposition during 1951. His decision to expropriate the conservative La Prensa (then the nation's second-most circulated daily), though lauded by the CGT labor union, damaged his standing elsewhere at home and his reputation in other countries, as did the climate of political liberties: the opposition UCR's nominee, Congressman Ricardo Balbín, had spent much of the previous year as a political prisoner. Economically, the year was an improvement over the 1949–50 recession and saw the completion of a number of landmark public works and the inaugural of Channel 13 (Public Television), the first regular broadcast station in Latin America; but growing inflation (50%, a record at the time) led to increasing strike activity.

Ballot paper for Perón - Quijano.

The ailing Eva Perón (right) casts a vote for the "reason of her life," President Juan Perón.

The UCR and other parties in opposition, harassed and deprived of access to the media, boycotted a number of Congressional races and all Senate races as well. The vice president, Hortensio Quijano, had requested leave from the campaign due to failing health and, on August 22, the CGT organized a rally on Buenos Aires' massive Ninth of July Avenue in support of the influential first lady Eva Perón as her husband's running mate, though unbeknownst to the crowd, the popular Evita was, like Quijano, dying, and thus refused the acclamation. Quijano reluctantly stayed on; but his stepping aside did not prevent a September 28 coup attempt against Perón on the part of ultraconservative elements in the Army. Ultimately, these ill-considered attacks, the Peróns' popularity and their control of much of the media combined to give the Peronist Party a landslide in the election, the first at the national level in which the vote was extended to women.

Candidates

• Peronist Party: President Juan Perón of Buenos Aires Province
• Radical Civic Union: Congressman Ricardo Balbín of Buenos Aires Province

• 
  Incumbent President Juan Perón
• 
  Balbín (left) and running mate Arturo Frondizi

Results

President

Presidential candidate	Vice Presidential candidate	Party		Votes	%
Juan Domingo Perón	Hortensio Quijano		Peronist Party (PP)	4,745,168	63.51
Ricardo Balbín	Arturo Frondizi		Radical Civic Union (UCR)	2,415,750	32.33
Reynaldo Pastor	Vicente Solano Lima		National Democratic Party (PDN)	174,399	2.33
Rodolfo Ghioldi	Alcira de la Peña		Communist Party (PC)	71,318	0.95
Alfredo Palacios	Américo Ghioldi		Socialist Party (PS)	54,920	0.74
Genaro Giacobini	Jorge Francisco Rivero		Public Health Party	5,512	0.07
Luciano Molinas	Juan A. Díaz Arana		Democratic Progressive Party (PDP)	2,634	0.04
José Fernando Penelón	Beniamino A. Semiza		Labour Gathering Party (CO)	1,233	0.02
No candidates			Nationalist Civic Union	163	0.00
Total				7,471,097	100
Positive votes				7,471,097	98.38
Invalid/blank votes				110,123	1.45
Tally sheet differences				12,928	0.17
Total votes				7,594,148	100
Registered voters/turnout				8,613,998	88.16
Sources:

Chamber of Deputies

Party		Votes	%	Deputies			Non-voting delegates
				1952-1955	1952-1958	Total	1952-1955	1952-1958	Total
	Peronist Party (PP)	4,330,886	62.21	67	68	135	6	5	11
	Radical Civic Union (UCR)	2,397,262	33.27	7	7	14	—	—	—
	National Democratic Party (PDN)	175,991	2.45	—	—	—	—	—	—
	Socialist Party (PS)	74,126	1.03	—	—	—	—	—	—
	Communist Party (PCA)	70,877	0.98	—	—	—	—	—	—
	Democratic Progressive Party (PDP)	2,717	0.04	—	—	—	—	—	—
	Labour Gathering Party (CO)	1,276	0.02	—	—	—	—	—	—
	Nationalist Civic Union	90	0.01	—	—	—	—	—	—
Total		7,205,312	100	74	75	149	6	5	11
Positive votes		7,205,312	97.63
Invalid/blank votes		175,120	2.37
Total votes		7,377,322	100
Registered voters/turnout		8,360,993	88.23
Source:

Senate

Party		Votes	%	Seats 1952-1955	Seats 1952-1958	Total seats
	Peronist Party (PP)			15	15	30
	Radical Civic Union (UCR)			—	—	—
	National Democratic Party (PDN)			—	—	—
	Socialist Party (PS)			—	—	—
	Communist Party (PCA)			—	—	—
	Democratic Progressive Party (PDP)			—	—	—
Total				15	15	30
Positive votes
Invalid/blank votes
Total votes			100
Registered voters/turnout

Provincial Governors

Election of Provincial Governors
Elected positions: 14 governors, 14 legislative bodies Presidential appointment: 9 territorial governors, Mayor of the city of Buenos Aires
Date	Province	Elected	Winner	Runner-up
11 November	Buenos Aires	Governor Vice Governor Provincial legislatures	Carlos Aloé (Partido Peronista) (62,99 %)	Crisólogo Larralde (Unión Cívica Radical) (33,30 %)
	Catamarca	Governor Vice Governor Provincial legislatures	Armando Casas Nóblega (Partido Peronista) (76,66 %)	Ramón Edgardo Acuña (Unión Cívica Radical) (21,58 %)
	Córdoba	Governor Vice Governor Provincial legislatures	Raúl Lucini (Partido Peronista) (51,98 %)	Arturo Umberto Illia (Unión Cívica Radical) (43,08 %)
	Corrientes	Governor Vice Governor Provincial legislatures	Raúl Benito Castillo (Partido Peronista) (64,36 %)	Héctor Lomónaco (Unión Cívica Radical) (26,70 %)
	Entre Ríos	Governor Vice Governor Provincial legislatures	Felipe Texier (Partido Peronista) (63,07 %)	Fermín J. Garay (Unión Cívica Radical) (32,68 %)
	Jujuy	Governor Vice Governor Provincial legislatures	Jorge Villafañe (Partido Peronista) (79,29 %)	Horacio Guzmán (Unión Cívica Radical) (15,01 %)
	La Rioja	Governor Vice Governor Provincial legislatures	Juan Melis (Partido Peronista) (73,97 %)	Herminio Torres Brizuela (Unión Cívica Radical) (26,03 %)
	Mendoza	Governor Vice Governor Provincial legislatures	Carlos Horacio Evans (Partido Peronista) (66,89 %)	Leopoldo Suárez (Unión Cívica Radical) (21,22 %)
	Salta	Governor Vice Governor Provincial legislatures	Ricardo Joaquín Durand (Partido Peronista) (76,37 %)	Ricardo E. Aráoz (Unión Cívica Radical) (23,34 %)
	San Juan	Governor Vice Governor Provincial legislatures	Rinaldo Viviani (Partido Peronista) (78,67 %)	Juan Pascual Pringles (Unión Cívica Radical) (16,57 %)
	San Luis	Governor Provincial legislatures	Víctor Endeiza (Partido Peronista) (71,16 %)	Julio Domeniconi (Unión Cívica Radical) (15,83 %)
	Santa Fe	Governor Vice Governor Provincial legislatures	Luis Cárcamo (Partido Peronista) (64,92 %)	Alfredo Julio Grassi (Unión Cívica Radical) (33,08 %)
	Santiago del Estero	Governor Provincial legislatures	Francisco González (Partido Peronista) (78,72 %)	Hugo Catella (Unión Cívica Radical) (14,06 %)
	Tucumán	Governor Vice Governor Provincial legislatures	Luis Cruz (Partido Peronista) (70,70 %)	Celestino Gelsi (Unión Cívica Radical) (27,40 %)