Chile Counts First-Round Votes as Jara Edges Kast, Runoff Likely

Overview

• With 14.65% of ballots counted, Jeannette Jara had 26.17% to José Antonio Kast’s 24.87%, followed by Franco Parisi (18.16%), Evelyn Matthei (13.90%) and Johannes Kaiser (13.86%).
• No candidate is on pace to surpass 50% of the vote, making a December 14 runoff the probable next step under Chile’s two-round system.
• Chile also elected a new legislature, renewing all 155 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 23 of 50 in the Senate under compulsory voting.
• A 15‑day legal blackout on publishing opinion polls limited public visibility into late-campaign standings before Sunday’s vote.
• Concerns over rising violent crime and irregular migration shaped the race, with Jara pledging tougher crime-fighting tools as rivals campaigned on mass deportations and tighter borders.