Chile’s election agency expects to have results within hours. Polling stations across the country reported long lines and high turnout as Chileans took part in mandatory voting, which experts say adds uncertainty to polls that have consistently shown voters are more likely to reject the new text. Diego Uribe, 35, a father of two who doesn’t usually vote because he has lost faith in political parties, voted to approve the new constitution in Puente Alto, a lower-income district in southern Santiago. “This one is different,” Uribe said, adding that he would have voted even if it wasn’t mandatory. “Approval is real change for the future, free education, decent healthcare and more rights.” People line up outside a polling station in Valparaiso on Sunday. Polling stations across the country reported long lines and high turnout for mandatory voting. (Rodrigo Garrido/Reuters) The new text is the result of an agreement reached to quell violent protests against inequality in 2019 and focuses on social rights, the environment, gender equality and indigenous rights. While nearly 80 percent of Chileans voted in favor of drafting a new constitution in late 2020, polls show public support for the new text has waned amid fear over some proposals and controversy surrounding the voters who elected it. draw up. More than 15 million Chileans and residents are eligible to vote in more than 3,000 polling stations, including the national stadium in Santiago, where Rosemarie Williamson, 54, voted to reject the new constitution with her 85-year-old mother. Williamson voted to draft a new constitution in 2020, but rejected the proposed constitution today, citing concerns about many of the proposals. “The main thing is [Indigenous] Multinationality and then pension funds,” Williamson said. “I’ve worked all my life and I’m not willing to share that.” Election workers count ballots at a polling station in Santiago on Sunday. More than 15 million Chileans and residents were eligible to vote. (Aileen Diaz/Reuters) President Gabriel Boric voted in the southern city of Punta Arenas early Sunday and vowed to maintain unity regardless of the outcome. “In the difficult times we’ve lived as a country we’ve taken the path to resolve our differences and move forward with more democracy,” Boric told reporters after the vote. He added that regardless of the outcome, the government will work with all sectors to “advance justice, equity, growth and development for all”. Chilean President Gabriel Boric gives a press conference after his vote in Punta Arenas on Sunday. He vowed to maintain unity regardless of the outcome. (Andres Poblete/The Associated Press) Some polls outside the country – including Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, South Korea and China – have already closed and show a favorable lead for the new text. The votes of Chileans living outside the country have historically been more progressive than the rest of the electorate. Polls will close at 6pm local time, but will remain open for voters waiting in line. Chile’s election agency expects to have results within hours. The number of voters planning to vote No on the new text surpassed Yes for the first time in April and maintained a different lead. The latest polls before the two-week blackout showed No leading with 47 per cent to 38 per cent for Yes and 17 per cent undecided. The ruling coalition has already agreed to amend the text if approved, and 57 transitional rules will help transition from one constitution to the other. If the text is rejected, Boric said the process would have to start over to fulfill the mandate given by the 2020 vote to draft a new constitution. Other political figures have said the current constitution should be amended given recent legislative changes to smaller majorities needed to do so.
