Chile Holds First-Round Presidential Vote Under Poll Blackout

Overview

• A 15‑day ban on publishing polls under Law 18.700 leaves voters without fresh public opinion data heading into election day.
• October surveys from AtlasIntel placed left‑coalition candidate Jeannette Jara near 30%–33% and José Antonio Kast around 20%, with other right‑leaning contenders clustered in the mid‑teens.
• Those same polls suggested Jara would lose head‑to‑head in a December 14 runoff, including a projected deficit to Kast.
• Crime and migration dominate the agenda as homicide rates have risen and large Venezuelan inflows reshaped debates on border control and organized crime.
• This is the first presidential vote since the return to compulsory voting and automatic registration, and Chile also elects the entire Chamber of Deputies and part of the Senate.