About 15 million Chileans were called to the polls to choose between two opposing models, represented by MP Gabriel Borek, of the left-wing Consent to Dignity Coalition, and José Antonio Caste, proposed by the far-right Christian Social Front coalition.
As reported by Prensa Latina, polling stations began receiving citizens at 08:00 (local time), and will remain open until 18:00, unless at that time there are voters inside or outside the building waiting to exercise their right to vote.
46,888 polling stations were installed in different regions of the country, to which are added another 249 polling stations licensed for residents abroad, where voting began the day before.
According to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Electoral Service (Servell), Andres Tagle, the process should be very smooth as there are only two options, unlike the first round on November 21, adds the Latin American News Agency.
On the occasion, there were seven presidential candidates and deputies, nearly half of the senators, governors and local council members were elected, causing long and late queues at polling stations.
Tagle confirmed that the first results can be released around 6:30 p.m., and after an hour and a half there will already be a known trend, unless the difference between the candidates is very small, adds PL.
A peculiarity of the elections in Chile is that the vote is voluntary and the abstention rate in the first round was 53%, an indicator that is expected to decline next Sunday.
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