Chileans began voting this Sunday in the plebiscite to choose “for” or “against” a new Constitution proposal to replace the one in force since the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990).
The voting stations opened at 0:800 local time (11:00 GMT) and will operate until 4:00 pm if there are no people voting. More than 15 million Chileans are eligible to vote in this election on a mandatory basis. This is the third constitutional plebiscite that Chileans have attended since October 2020 in which they decided to begin the path to replace the Magna Carta of the dictatorship.
The new text was drafted by a body dominated by the ultra-conservative Republican Party. The proposal reduces the weight of the State, could limit some rights, such as therapeutic abortion, and toughens the treatment of migrants with the expulsion “in the shortest possible time” of those who are in an irregular situation.
It is Chile’s second attempt to replace its Constitution. A first proposal drafted by a Constituent Assembly dominated by the left, which proposed a progressive text with profound transformations such as the elimination of the Senate and the right to abortion, was rejected in September 2022 by 62%.
The successive elections have caused exhaustion and satiety in the population, who experienced this last process with great apathy.
President Boric
Accompanied by his family, the president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, arrived at his voting station – table 241 of the Higher Industrial School – in Punta Arenas.
After casting his vote, the Chilean president gave statements highlighting the functioning of the institutions in charge of the electoral process.
“Chile has demonstrated a strength that we do not have to take for granted: that we channel the problems we have in society institutionally,” he noted, in addition to ensuring that “regardless of the result, our government will continue working on the people’s priorities.” ”, mentioning safety, health, remaining “firm” to fulfill the commitment to build 260 thousand homes, in addition to ensuring that “this 2024 will be a year of good news.
He affirmed that Chile is going to grow again and take off as a country. “We are going to work hard to recover our public education, I am going to put all my energy into making the country’s public education a source of pride.”
He assured that regardless of what happens in this election process, his government will continue to work “firmly at the foot of the canyon.” He said that we must trust the citizens. “Today this process is carried out peacefully, with healthy joy, demonstrating that the institutions work.”
After finishing his speech, the President did not want to take questions from the press and quickly left the voting station.
Process balance
The Undersecretary of the Interior Manuel Monsalve took stock of this electoral process so far and announced the redistribution of Carabineros to reinforce the process of excuses in the Plebiscite.
During this Plebiscite, citizens have gone to the polls to decide whether they are against or in favor of a new Constitution, however, in the latest balance provided by the Carabineros of Chile, more than 313,250 requests have been registered through the Virtual Police Station for excuse themselves from voting, of which 202,344 have already been validated in a physical unit.
Added to these are the 32,455 who have completed the procedure entirely at a police station, without having resorted to the digital platform. Due to these figures, Undersecretary Manuel Monsalve recognized the long lines in some police stations as a result of the excuse process, which is why he noted that:
“A redistribution of Carabineros de Chile officials has been requested for the excuse process, because there are places in particular where there is a greater concentration of citizens who are coming to excuse themselves.”
Result of the plebiscite abroad
The vote of Chileans abroad is usually the first indication of electoral results, since voting stations in countries like New Zealand open earlier due to the time difference.
Polling stations were closed in eight countries: New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, China, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines. 2,256 valid votes were registered, which represents a decrease of 58.7% compared to the 5,465 votes cast in the 2022 plebiscite. This decrease reflects a lower interest of Chileans abroad in the current electoral process, an expected trend since the vote is voluntary.
Regarding the preliminary preferences in these eight countries, the “Against” option received 1,556 votes, which represents 69% of the total, while the “For” option obtained 700 votes, equivalent to 31%. In contrast, during the 2022 plebiscite, the “Approve” option reached 67% of the preferences with 3,663 votes, and the “Reject” option obtained 33% with 1,802 votes.
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Source: With information from AFP, La Tercera, Radio Pauta
