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Chile Heads to the Polls Under Mandatory Voting as Jara Leads a Fragmented Field

Turnout uncertainty under the new requirement heightens the stakes for a likely December runoff.

Overview

  • More than 15.6 million Chileans vote Sunday, the first presidential election with compulsory voting and fines for abstention.
  • Aggregated polls place left-wing officialist Jeannette Jara in first place in the high‑20s, short of the majority needed to win outright.
  • The right is split among José Antonio Kast, libertarian Johannes Kaiser and Evelyn Matthei, leaving second place too close to call in pre‑blackout surveys.
  • Servel schedules a runoff for December 14 if no candidate tops 50%, with some polls modeling Jara trailing right‑wing rivals in head‑to‑head matchups.
  • Security, irregular migration and the economy dominate the race, with undocumented migrants voicing fear of detention or expulsion under tougher right‑wing plans.