Javier Milei announced the call for national elections. What will Cornejo do?

Although it had until July 18 to do so, Javier Milei 's government confirmed this Monday, through a decree, that the general legislative elections will be held next Sunday, October 26.

It was a measure to "maintain the electoral climate" after Milei 's victory in the Buenos Aires City elections, according to the Mendoza ruling party, which has not yet decided whether it will seal an alliance with La Libertad Avanza , which would result in the unification of the date of the provincial elections with those of the Nation and in the suspension of the PASO at the local level.

Although the Casa Rosada ( Presidential Palace) brought forward the call for elections, sources within the Mendoza Radical Party indicated that the deadline for the Province to decide whether or not to unify the election extends until the end of July . Specifically, the 28th of that month, 90 days before the date set nationally.

"There's time," said the local Radical Party. There are more than two months during which, in addition to the negotiation of the candidate lists for Congress and the provincial legislature between Alfredo Cornejo and Milei, a bill suspending the PASO (Primary Primary Elections) must be voted on in Mendoza.

It should be remembered that the current legal framework in Mendoza establishes separate national elections as the first option, unless the governor in power decides to unify them. In that context, if the split election is chosen, provincial legislative seats would be voted on in February and April, with PASO ( Primary Elections) in the first round.

Instead, the primary process was eliminated by Congress, and national deputies and senators will be elected directly on October 26. Mendoza will have to renew five national deputies , half of its representation.

In turn, in the decree calling for elections, the Nation launched the security operation , which will be led by the General Electoral Command , a transitional body composed of national and provincial armed and security forces.

The call was made official through Decree 335/2025 , published in the Official Gazette, which establishes that on that day 127 deputies and 24 national senators will be elected, in accordance with the schedule provided in the National Electoral Code and following the exceptional suspension of the primary elections (PASO) during this year, as provided by Law 27,783.

Simultaneously, through Decree 336/2025 , signed by Milei and the Chief of Staff, Guillermo Francos, the Executive Branch established the General Electoral Command, which will be responsible for the custody of voting stations, the safekeeping of electoral materials, the surveillance of data processing facilities, and the transportation of ballot boxes , from their distribution to the completion of the final count in each district.

The operation will begin 55 days before the election , following the hearing to approve the Single Paper Ballot, as stipulated in Agreement 26/2025 of the National Electoral Chamber. The operation will include personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie, Coast Guard, Federal Police, Airport Security Police, and provincial police.

The troops will be under the command of a General Electoral Commander , appointed by the Ministry of Defense, and will be actively present from 8:00 a.m. the day before the vote, remaining until the complete withdrawal of electoral materials and documentation. They will also be able to justify not casting a vote if they are involved in the operation.

According to the decree, the command will also be empowered to order contracts, payments, and logistical management , although limited to the fulfillment of its specific functions during the electoral process.

The National Electoral Directorate will be responsible for coordinating administrative tasks with the General Electoral Command, while the federal courts with electoral jurisdiction and the national electoral boards will receive ongoing reports on the operation's progress.