Santiago de Chile, Nov. 16 - About 15.7 million Chileans are called to vote today for the next president in elections with an uncertain forecast, as these are the first with mandatory voting, where progressivism and the far-right are favored.
Most polls, which do not always predict accurately, place Jeannette Jara, the leftist candidate from social democracy and the Christian Democracy party, in first place, followed by José Antonio Kast from the extremist Republican Party.
However, there is also a rise in support for Johannes Kaiser from the Libertarian National Party, who is aligned with the ideas of Javier Milei, pushing Evelyn Matthei from the traditional right coalition Chile Vamos out of third place.
Further behind are Franco Parisi from the conservative People’s Party, as well as independents Harold Mayne-Nicholls, Marco Enríquez-Ominami, and Eduardo Artés.
In statements to Prensa Latina, academic Marcela Vera noted that indeed the polls place Jara ahead in the first round, but the question remains as to which right-wing candidate will join her in the runoff.
"I have not seen such a narrow margin among the three right-wing candidates," she said, suggesting that it will likely be between Kast and Kaiser.
With mandatory attendance, around five million new voters are expected, whose political leanings are difficult to predict.
Voter turnout is expected to be high because those who do not attend without justification could face fines ranging from $35 to $105.
In addition to choosing the next head of La Moneda Palace, Chileans will also elect all members of the Chamber of Deputies and 23 of the 50 senators this Sunday.
Polling stations will open at 08:00 (local time) and close at 18:00, unless there are still lines to vote at that time.
More than 23,700 police officers will be responsible for securing polling places and ensuring order and tranquility throughout the day.
