Chile’s Chamber of Deputies has approved this Monday a bill with the Senate’s modifications that reestablishes compulsory voting in elections, all this ten years after its repeal.
With 124 votes in favor, six against and three abstentions, the Chilean Lower House has ratified the return to compulsory voting, leaving behind voluntary suffrage after a progressive increase in abstention in recent years, as reported by the Chilean Congress in a statement.
Thus, with this new law, the inscription in the electoral registers will be automatic and the vote will be obligatory, as it was in the last constitutional referendum of last September 4.
The reform, which was born in the Chamber of Deputies, was sent to the Senate in June 2021. Now, with its approval, the proposal is in the hands of the Executive to be enacted into law, as reported by ‘Bio Bio Chile’.
In the last presidential elections, held in November 2021 and won by Gabriel Boric, the turnout in the first round was 47.33 percent, while in the second round it grew to 55.64 points.
In contrast, in the last constitutional referendum, the turnout was over 80 percent, which is why both chambers of the Chilean Congress have defended the measure.
«Good or bad politicians depended on those who did not vote because the low turnout generated a crisis of institutionality and legitimacy of our authorities. Today we can reverse it. The plebiscite was a good indicator, where more than 80 percent of the people participated», said Andrés Longton, deputy of the conservative Renovación Nacional.
Likewise, defenders of the measure have argued that this change «will allow more robust electoral results, with more basis and legitimacy». In addition, in their opinion, compulsory voting will allow the formation of «more responsible» politicians and public officials, closing the way to «clientelism with simple and populist ideas».
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
