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09/07/2021 15:43
Clarín.com
Politics
Updated 09/07/2021 17:34
Five days before the primary elections, audios and videos circulate on WhatsApp indicating that if the envelope where the ballot is inserted is stuck inside the dark room, out of the view of the polling station authorities, "that vote will be contested , because it is calculated that he was hit with saliva ”.
According to the authorities of the National Electoral Chamber (CNE), the National Electoral Justice and the national health protocols, this is false.
The audios reached Reverse WhatsApp dozens of times (+54 9 11 3679-0690) to be verified.
One of them was also shared in a video with the inscription: “ATENTO !!!
can you contest our vote, questioning the glue… !! ?? "
(sic).
Another audio that circulates, with a different voice-over, says: “When you go to vote if you wear voligoma, do not stick the envelope in the dark room, you have to do it in front of the president of the table because otherwise it is understood that one closed it with the tongue, with saliva, and it is an envelope that can potentially infect.
That envelope, if it comes sealed from the dark room, is contested.
It was passed to me by a person who is going to be chairman of the table ”.
In none of these audios or videos is a source required: they only indicate that "a table prosecutor" or "a person who is going to be table president" or "a friend" told them.
It is not cause for invalidity
Hernán Gonçalves Figueiredo, secretary of Judicial Action of the National Electoral Chamber, told
Reverso
: “It is false.
The causes of nullity of a vote are provided for in the National Electoral Code and that is not one of them ”.
The National Electoral Code makes explicit in its article 114 that the causes of nullity of the vote are: “When: 1. There is no act of election of the table or certificate of scrutiny signed by the electoral authorities and 2 prosecutors, at least.
2. The record would have been maliciously altered or, in the absence of it, the scrutiny certificate will not have the minimum pre-established precautions.
3. The number of voters recorded in the minutes or, failing that, in the vote count certificate, differs by 5 envelopes or more from the number of envelopes used and sent by the chairman of the polling station ”.
Nowhere is it specified that closing the envelope out of sight of the authorities is a reason to contest the vote.
When asked about these audios, Leandro Luppi, Electoral Prosecutor of the Province of Buenos Aires of the National Electoral Justice, told
Reverso
: "No, nothing to do, this information is terrible, very detrimental to the election."
And he added: “It is no reason to contest closing with saliva.
It is recommended not to do so and not to use any glue, just insert the flap inside the envelope ”.
Do not close the envelope with saliva
On the other hand, as the misinformation indicates that this would be the case because of the risk of contagion of COVID-19, it was also verified that something like this was not specified in the Health Prevention Protocol prepared by the National Electoral Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior of the Nation in conjunction with the Ministry of Health.
In the point on the closing of the envelopes, the protocol says: “The voters will be instructed not to seal the envelope with saliva.
It will be recommended to introduce the flap of the envelope inside so that it contains the ballots inside until the moment of the scrutiny, without having to glue the envelope ".
Regarding how to close the envelope, the National Electoral Chamber had already indicated to Reverso in this note: “For that, the options are varied and are left to the discretion of the voter.
They can use some glue, preferably a stick;
an adhesive tape;
another way to moisten and activate the adhesive of the envelope, such as with the alcohol gel that many carry for prevention;
or even insert the flap of the envelope inside, making sure that the ballot is well secured inside ”.
However, nowhere in the protocol is it specified that whoever closes with voligoma or any other type of glue or saliva out of sight of the table authorities will have their vote challenged.
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This note is part of Reverso, the collaborative journalistic project that brings together more than 40 media to intensify the fight against disinformation during the 2021 elections.
The ways of contact to join are: by mail to info@chequeado.com
by WhatsApp
and / ReversoAr in all networks
Author: Rosario Marina
Edition 1: Florencia Ballarino
Edition 2: Matías Di Santi