Chile: Second Day of Subnational Elections Kicks Off
A polling station in Chile, Oct. 27, 2024. X/ @ASChile
October 27, 2024 Hour: 11:32 am
The people will elect 345 mayors, 16 governors, 2,252 councilors, and 302 regional councilors.
On Sunday, polling stations for Chile’s municipal and regional elections reopened after a first day of voting that proceeded smoothly, with over 46 percent of registered voters participating.
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“Out of 15.4 million voters, a total of 7.2 million have voted nationwide, equivalent to 46.86 percent of the total,” said Andres Tagle, the president of the Electoral Service (SERVEL), on Saturday night.
The elections are being held over two days due to the extended voting time required for the large number of positions being filled: 345 mayors, 16 governors, 2,252 councilors, and 302 regional councilors. These are the first subnational elections held under the new mandatory voting system, reestablished in 2022 after 10 years of voluntary participation. Voter turnout is expected to be around 80 percent.
Ballot boxes will remain open until 6:00 p.m. local time, with a lengthy count anticipated. The elections are taking place in an atmosphere of intense political tension, marked by rising crime and various scandals affecting both the government and the right-wing opposition.
“Hopefully, the elected officials won’t be corrupt, will do their job well, and will listen more to the people, regardless of political affiliation,” said Ricardo Nolis, a young voter at the National Stadium in the capital’s Ñuñoa neighborhood—one of the country’s largest voting centers.
President Gabriel Boric’s administration, composed of a broad coalition running as a united front in these elections, will test its handling of the security crisis and the recent accusation of alleged sexual assault against former Interior Undersecretary Manuel Monsalve, who resigned last week.
The opposition, on the other hand, enters the race highly fragmented. The traditional right-wing coalition, Chile Vamos, affected by a large-scale influence-peddling scandal that has reached the Supreme Court, is attempting to prevent a potential loss of votes to the far-right Republican Party.
teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE
