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Chile Set to Vote Under First Mandatory System as Jara Leads a Split Right

Turnout by millions of newly mobilized voters could redraw the field.

Overview

  • Chile holds presidential and congressional elections on Sunday with voting compulsory for roughly 15.6–15.7 million registered citizens, enforceable with fines.
  • Pre‑blackout polls place officialist Jeannette Jara in first around the high‑20s, with José Antonio Kast trailing and libertarian Johannes Kaiser and Evelyn Matthei clustered in the mid‑teens.
  • The right‑wing vote is fragmented as Kast loses ground to a rising Kaiser, while Matthei has slipped from earlier strength.
  • No candidate is projected to surpass 50% in the first round; the electoral authority has set a December 14 runoff if required.
  • Security, irregular migration and the economy dominate the campaign against a backdrop of voter fatigue and low approval for outgoing President Gabriel Boric.