Overview
- With more than half the ballots counted, Jeannette Jara had 26.58% and José Antonio Kast 24.32%, sending both to a second round next month.
- The runoff will decide whether Chile pursues a center-left reform path or a harder line on security and migration.
- Crime and immigration dominated the campaign, and many voters associate rising violence with irregular migration despite Chile remaining relatively safe for the region.
- Supporters of other right-wing candidates, including the far-right Johannes Kaiser and conservative Evelyn Matthei, are expected to bolster Kast, though Kaiser’s base is a wildcard.
- Voting was compulsory and coincided with legislative elections for all 155 deputies and half the Senate, with the next president due to take office on March 11, 2026.