Chile Concludes Second Day of Municipal and Regional Elections

Correspondent Paola Dragnic reported that it was an intense day, marking the first effective voting conducted over two days, following a previous attempt in 2021. Oct 27, 2024 Photo: EFE

October 27, 2024 Hour: 6:25 pm

According to the Electoral Service (Servel), the counting of votes will proceed in the following order: Regional Governor, Mayor, Regional Councilors, and Councilors.

This Sunday, October 27, the second day of municipal and regional elections in Chile came to an end, an event seen as a barometer for next year’s presidential elections.

Correspondent Paola Dragnic reported that it was an intense day, marking the first effective voting conducted over two days, following a previous attempt in 2021.

In Chile, the electoral process is entirely manual, and in some municipalities, there are up to one hundred candidates for councilors. This complexity affects the time required to select and fold the ballot, as observed by Dragnic from a polling station in Santa María Reina.

Comienza el cierre de las mesas de votación en las elecciones Regionales y Municipales 2024. 🗳️

El escrutinio de votos comenzará en el siguiente orden: Gobernador Regional, luego Alcalde, seguido de Consejeros Regionales y, por último, Concejales.#ELECCIONES #Elecciones2024 pic.twitter.com/HyYwYZfRsM
— Servicio Electoral (@ServelChile) October 27, 2024

^{“The closing of polling stations for the 2024 regional and municipal elections begins.”}

More than 15.4 million Chileans were called to the polls to elect 345 mayors, 16 governors, 2,256 councilors, and 302 regional councilors.

According to the Electoral Service (Servel), the counting of votes will proceed in the following order: Regional Governor, Mayor, Regional Councilors, and Councilors.

These elections are the first under a new mandatory voting system for those over 18 years old, reinstated in 2022 after ten years of voluntary participation. Voter turnout is expected to reach around 80%.

On its official account on X (formerly Twitter), Chile’s Electoral Service reported that out of the 40,014 polling stations set up, 39,691 were operational, representing a 99.19% functionality rate.