Presidential and Legislative Elections

December 11th

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Description of Electoral System:

(Courtesy of IFES election guide, Chilean Constitution and Electoral laws)

The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 6-year term. In the Senate (Senado), 38 members are elected by popular vote to serve 8-year terms and 10 members are designated. In the Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados) 120 members are elected by popular vote to serve 4-year terms. One-half of the members in the Senate are elected every four years.

Chile also has a bipartisan party system, and a binomial majority electoral system.

Suffrage in Chile is personal, egalitarian, secret and mandatory.  Also, are considered citizens, persons over 18 years old with suffrage rights (Art. 13 of the Constitution), (Arts. 60- 61 of the Law N° 18.700).

Presidential elections are won by absolute majority and also have a second round election for the two candidates who obtained the highest percentage of votes (Art. 16 of the Constitution).

 Chile has a bicameral congress and the elections are ruled by the proportional system using the D´hondt method, with a closed and non blocked list . They haven´t any type of legal barrier [1].

The National Congress is constituted in two chambers (Art. 42 of the Constitution). The national territory is divided in constituencies, obtaining 19 legislators for the Senate and 60 for the Deputies. The election is for two members by constituency (Arts. 178-179-181 of the Law N° 18.700).

Finally, the electoral management is divided in two autonomous organisms: the "Tribunal Calificador de Elecciones" (TRICEL), the supreme electoral justice court. The TRICEL qualifies and verifies all the electoral processes in the country. It’s responsible of the general scrutiny and supervises the legaliy of Presidential and Parliamentary, plebiscites and all electoral controversy generated (Art. 84 of the Constitution, Art.9 of the Law N° 18.460). The other electoral organism is the "Electoral Services" (SERVEL) organism. This autonomous organism is in charge of organizing, controlling  and supervising all  electoral acts. (Art. 87 of the Law N° 18.556). 

[1] Nohlen, Dieter: “Sistemas electorales parlamentarios y presidenciales” ON, Nohlen, Dieter, Daniel Zovatto y Sonia Picado (comp.): “Tratado de derecho Electoral comparado de América Latina”. Fondo de Cultura Económica, 1998. pp. 169

Electoral Systems Snapshot

(Courtesy of International IDEA)

*Click on link for definition

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