Chileans at an election rally. (AP)

Chileans at an election rally. (AP)

Share

Chile's Presidential Vote in Charts: The Left's Jara and the Right's Kast Head to a Runoff

By Chase Harrison

See results of the November 16 contest, including the congressional panorama. Plus, what can we glean from polling for the December 12 runoff?

Chile could well stay the course on Latin America’s well-trodden, anti-incumbent path. On November 16, Chileans voted in the first round of presidential elections. With none of the eight candidates reaching the 50 percent threshold to win outright, the top two vote getters advance to the December 12 runoff. Leftist Jeanette Jara of the ruling party’s Unity for Chile coalition took the top spot with 26.8 percent of the vote. She faces José Antonio Kast of the right-wing Republican Party, who scored 23.9 percent of the vote.

Despite a crowded field of right-wing candidates, Kast outperformed expectations, coming within 400,000 votes of besting Jara. When combined, the right-wing candidates’ portion of the vote exceeded 50 percent. The left, on the other hand, garnered its lowest share since 1958. 

Two right-wing candidates who failed to make the runoff—far-right National Deputy Johannes Kaiser and center-right former Minister of Labor Evelyn Matthei—have already thrown their support behind Kast. Economist Franco Parisi, whose populist campaign saw a surge of support in the final set of polls, had not endorsed a candidate at the time this article was published.

 

This was the first presidential election since 2012 with mandatory voting. The turnout of 85.3 percent was higher than the previous two presidential votes where participation was just below 50 percent.

 

 

Jara and Kast will now have one month to make their case to voters and speak to their plans to tackle what Chileans consider to be the country’s top problems: insecurity, migration, and the economy. Per polling conducted prior to the runoff, Kast holds the advantage in a runoff scenario.

 

 

On November 16, Chileans also voted for the entire Chamber of Deputies and just under half of the Senate. No party or coalition achieved a majority in either body. The Change for Chile coalition, which includes both Kaiser's and Kast’s parties, had the largest increase in seats in both bodies.

 

 

Related

REACTION: Jara and Kast Head to Chile’s Presidential Runoff

A Communist and a right-wing candidate will compete in the second round on December 14.

AQ Podcast | A Right Turn in Chile?  

Patricio Navia on Chile’s upcoming election, and what it might mean for the economy.

Explore