Chile votes in sharply split presidential election

Polls opened early in what authorities describe as one of the country’s most polarizing elections in years. Mandatory voting is in place for the first time since the last cycle, and eight candidates are competing. Surveys indicate no contender is likely to reach the majority required to avoid a second round on December 14.

Jeannette Jara, a 51-year-old candidate from the Communist Party representing the governing coalition, and Jose Antonio Kast, a 59-year-old conservative from the Republican Party, are viewed as the leaders of the race. President Gabriel Boric, who came to office on a center-left platform, cannot run again due to constitutional limits.

Public security and migration shaped much of the campaign. Crime concerns have grown amid rising murders, kidnappings and extortion over the past decade, with many voters pointing to the presence of foreign criminal networks. Officials note that the homicide rate has decreased by about 10% since 2022, reaching six per 100,000 people, slightly above the level in the United States, but the broader sense of insecurity remains a dominant issue.

Kast has argued for stronger border controls and tighter enforcement of immigration laws. Ahead of the vote, he announced plans to expel undocumented migrants should he win, drawing significant attention from both supporters and critics. His proposals include building physical barriers along Chile’s desert frontier with Bolivia, a common route for irregular crossings.

Turnout is expected to be higher than in the previous first round, when more than half of the eligible voters did not participate. Analysts say the large share of undecided voters could influence the race’s direction.

Voters are also electing a new Congress. All 155 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 23 of the 50 Senate seats are being contested. The governing coalition currently holds a minority in both chambers. A right-leaning majority would mark the first time since Chile’s transition from military rule in 1990 that both the presidency and Congress could potentially come under conservative control.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Rodrigo Paz was sworn in as Bolivia’s new president, marking the end of nearly two decades of governance by the Movement for Socialism (MAS) party.