A record amount of Chilean voters came out to the polls to vote on whether or not the country’s current constitution should be rewritten by citizens. The constitution is from the era of Augusto Pinochet, who was the dictator of Chile from 1973 to 1990 and has been the center of protests dating back to last year. Government officials and analysts say that, despite the pandemic, 49% of eligible voters came to the polls which is the highest mark since voting was made voluntary in 2012. Protests over the constitution began over a year ago with societal inequity and poor public services at the forefront of protestors’ grievances. However, the constitution has been changed since Pinochet’s rule to reduce military and executive power. The constitutional referendum has divided much of the population, with one side in favor of keeping the current constitution for its economic growth policies while those in favor of drafting a new constitution feel that the new generation’s voices should be heard and Pinochet’s legacy should be left in the past. The vote is expected to be close, with some opinion polls giving the vote for a new constitution an edge over the existing one. Over 5,000 Chilean votes have already been casted and counted from citizens overseas with 87% of those voters in favor of a new constitution. The winning side needs just a simple majority in order to keep their constitution intact or to write a new chapter in their country’s history.
Trevor Mohrmann
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