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 % 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. Results by congressional district Results by province and territory

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.^[1]

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

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:[2]

Footnotes