2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election

15–16 May 2021
155 seats in the Chilean Constitutional Convention
Registered	14,900,190
Turnout	43.43%
First party Second party Third party   Party Vamos por Chile ▻ RN UDI Evópoli PRI PLR Apruebo Dignidad ▻ Communist RD CS Commons FRVS IL FC Unir The List of the People Seats won 37 28 26 Popular vote 1,174,502 1,070,361 927,603 Percentage 20.6% 18.7% 16.2%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Party Lista del Apruebo ▻ Socialist PPD Radical Christian Dem. Progressive Citizens Liberal Non-Neutral Independents Independent candidates/lists Seats won 25 11 11 Popular vote 825,397 473,194 884,295 Percentage 14.5% 8.3% 15.5%
Results of the 2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election.[1]

An election for the members of the Constitutional Convention was held in Chile between 15 and 16 May 2021.^[2] This election was called after 78% of voters in the 2020 national plebiscite voted to write a new Constitution through this method.^[3]

After massive protests and riots sparked in October 2019, an agreement was reached on 15 November 2019 between several political parties to start the process to write a new Constitution.^[4] In case the first referendum was approved (originally scheduled for 26 April 2021), a special election would be called to select the members of the Constitutional Convention. This election was originally scheduled for 25 October 2020, six months after the first referendum. However, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile, the first referendum was moved to 25 October and the eventual election of the members of the Convention was scheduled for 11 April 2021.^[5] The extension of the pandemic forced the government to change the date of the election twice later: in March 2021, the election was extended to two days (10 and 11 April)^[6] and later, it was postponed by one month to 15 and 16 May 2021 due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.^[2]

This was the first time that Chilean citizens were able to vote for the members of the body created to write the Constitution. Although based originally in the system to elect the 155 members of the Chamber of Deputies, this election process established several changes. For the first time, 17 reserved seats were established for the 10 official indigenous groups. Also, different mechanisms in the inscription of candidates and the election system itself were designed to ensure gender parity in the Convention, being the first assembly of this kind in the world with equal representation of men and women.^[7]

The election's results were considered a surprise and a complete rearrangement of the political system in Chile established since the end of Pinochet's dictatorship in 1990. A large share of elected members (65 out of 155) were independent candidates organized in new lists (26 from the anti-establishment People's List, 22 others and 17 indigenous representatives). Although Chile Vamos, the governing alliance, was the most voted list in the country, it represented the lowest results in Chilean modern history for right-wing politics, not even reaching the third of members needed to veto in the Convention.^[8][9] The successor to Concertación, the main centre-left alliance, finished in fourth place, being surpassed by the alliance made by the leftist Communist Party and the Broad Front.^[10] The List of the People, an anti-establishment list of independent candidates, finished in third place.

Electoral system

Ballots used for the Constitutional Convention election: beige ballot for at-large election in the 10th district (left) and green ballot for Mapuche reserved seats. (right).

Ballot box used in the 2021 Constitutional Convention election.

The Constitutional Convention is composed of 155 members directly elected in this election: 138 by the electorate at large and 17 were reserved for citizens identified as indigenous.

The 138 at-large members were chosen in 28 constituencies of between three and eight seats by open list proportional representation. The constituencies are the same used for the election of the 155 members of the Chamber of Deputies. However, the districts with the largest number of indigenous people (according to the last census) and more than 3 seats were reduced by one seat to allocate the reserved indigenous seats.^[11] Candidates should be at least 18 years old and not have been previously convicted of a felony. Candidates could be presented by political parties or alliances of parties; in the case of independents candidates, they could participate as single independent candidates (gathering signatures of other independent citizens equal to 0.2% of voters in the last parliamentary election) or as a list (in this case, 0.5% of voters).^[12]

Seats were allocated using the D'Hondt method, just like in the parliamentary elections. In April 2020, a constitutional reform made some adjustments to that system to ensure equal representation of men and women in the Constitutional Convention. In case there is no gender equality in a constituency,^{[n 1]} the least-voted elected candidate of the over-represented gender will be replaced by a different-sex member in the same list or political party of the replaced candidate. Also, all alliances and parties had to present a list of candidates alternating their gender, starting with a woman, followed by a man, and so on.^[13]

The 17 seats reserved for Chilean indigenous peoples were allocated proportionally, depending on the number of people identifying in the 2017 census: 7 seats for Mapuche,^{[n 2]} 2 for Aymara, and 1 each for the Diaguita, Quechua, Atacameño, Colla, Chango, Rapa Nui, Kawésqar, and Yaghan peoples. Originally, an additional seat was set for the Afro-Chilean tribal group, but the proposal didn't meet the quorum for approval in Congress.^[14] Candidates for these seats must have been registered as a member of one of the recognized indigenous groups with CONADI or have an affidavit declaring that, and have to live in one of the designated regions for each group. Citizens identifying as indigenous could choose one of the ballots: the beige for the at-large election or the green for the reserved seats (with different candidates depending on its group). The candidates with the largest number of votes will be elected and, in case there is no gender equality, the least-voted members of the over-represented gender will be replaced by their alternate candidate of the different gender.^[15]

Each list also had to present candidates with disabilities at least in 5% of their candidacies. Other proposals to allow more diversity in the Constituent Assembly were rejected, including one to secure 5% of the candidacies to people from gender or sexual minorities or to establish 3 electoral districts (with 8 seats) for Chileans living abroad.^[16][17]

Contesting parties and coalitions

71 lists of candidates were submitted and approved by the Electoral Service (Servel). Three run on all 16 regions of the country, including the three largest coalitions with parliamentary representation. 2 coalition lists and the 3 parties presented candidates in different regions, but not in all the country. Other 63 lists of independent candidates were presented on a district level; however, some of them congregated on a national level, being The List of the People, Non-Neutral Independents, and Constituent Social Movements, three of the main coalition of independent lists presented in several regions. 28 independent candidates run outside lists, acting as individual lists in each district.

In total, 1278 candidacies were presented for the at-large election.

Coalition			Parties	Ideology	Political position	Previous election[n 4]		Candidates
						% Votes	Seats	Number	Regions
		Vamos por Chile Let's go for Chile List XP.	Chile Vamos: • National Renewal (RN) • Independent Democratic Union (UDI) • Political Evolution (Evopoli) • Democratic Independent Regionalist Party (PRI) Republican Party (PLR)	Conservatism Economic liberalism National conservatism Nationalism Liberal conservatism	Centre-right Right-wing Far-right[18]	39.02%	72 / 155	184	16
		Lista del Apruebo List of the Approve List YB.	Constituent Unity: • Socialist Party (PS) • Party for Democracy (PPD) • Radical Party (PR) • Christian Democratic Party (PDC) • Progressive Party (PRO) • Citizens (CIU) Liberal Party (PL)	Social democracy Christian democracy Social liberalism Progressivism	Centre Centre-left	35.36%	52 / 155	182	16
		Apruebo Dignidad Approve Dignity List YQ.	Broad Front: • Democratic Revolution (RD) • Social Convergence (CS) • Commons (Comunes) • UNIR Movement (Movimiento UNIR) • Common Force (FC) Chile Digno: • Communist Party (PC) • Social Green Regionalist Federation (FRVS) • Libertarian Left Equality Party (PI)	Direct democracy Democratic socialism Socialism of the 21st century Green politics Communism	Left-wing Far-left[19]	15.51%	24 / 155	171	16
		La Lista del Pueblo The List of the People Lists E., G., J., N., Q., S., WD., WJ., XC., XD., XJ., XT., YL., YP., ZD., ZE., ZI. and ZN.	Coalition of multiple lists of independent candidates	Anti-establishment	Left-wing Far-left[20]	New list		155	15
		Independientes No Neutrales Non-Neutral Independents Lists I., L., XR., YF., YU., YV., ZA. and ZT.[n 5]	Coalition of multiple lists of independent candidates	Progressivism	Centre	New list		121	12
		Partido Ecologista Verde Green Ecologist Party List XA.	Green Ecologist Party (PEV)	Green politics	Left-wing Centre-left	1.30%	1 / 155	76	8
		Movimientos Sociales Constituyentes Constituent Social Movements Lists T., XI., YK., YT., YU., ZH., ZK. and ZL.[21][n 5]	Coalition of multiple lists of independent candidates		Left-wing	New list		60	4
		Partido de Trabajadores Revolucionarios Revolutionary Workers Party List ZR.	Revolutionary Workers Party (PTR)	Anti-capitalism Trotskyism	Far-left	0.08%	0 / 155	52	5
		Unión Patriótica Patriotic Union List ZB.	Patriotic Union: • Communist P. (Proletarian Action) (PC-AP) • Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR) • Several smaller groups and movements	Anti-imperialism Marxism–Leninism Left-wing nationalism	Far-left	0.86%	0 / 155	52	4
		Ciudadanos Cristianos Christian Citizens List YX.	Christian Conservative Party National Citizen Party	Christian right Christian fundamentalism Right-wing populism	Right-wing Far-right	New list		26	5
		Partido Humanista Humanist Party List XG.	Humanist Party	Left-wing populism	Left-wing	0.63%	5 / 155	7	3
		Lists of independent candidates 29 different lists				1.75%	1 / 155	164	13
		Independent candidates outside lists						28	11

Results

By alliance/pact

Party		Votes	%	Seats
At-large
	Vamos por Chile	1,174,502	20.56	37
	Apruebo Dignidad	1,070,361	18.74	28
	The List of the People	927,603	16.24	26
	Lista del Apruebo	825,397	14.45	25
	Non-Neutral Independents	473,194	8.29	11
	Constituent Social Movements	243,986	4.27	3
	Green Ecologist Party	194,783	3.41	0
	Revolutionary Workers Party	52,421	0.92	0
	Patriotic Union	42,135	0.74	0
	Christian Citizens	37,479	0.66	0
	Humanist Party	29,084	0.51	0
	Other independent lists	408,289	7.15	7
	Independents	232,020	4.06	1
Total		5,711,254	100.00	138
Valid votes		5,711,254	92.28
Invalid votes		187,760	3.03
Blank votes		289,713	4.68
Total votes		6,188,727	100.00
Indigenous seats
	Indigenous seats: Mapuche	217,884	83.02	7
	Indigenous seats: Aymara	19,241	7.33	2
	Indigenous seats: Diaguita	11,239	4.28	1
	Indigenous seats: Lickanantay	6,772	2.58	1
	Indigenous seats: Colla	2,138	0.81	1
	Indigenous seats: Quechua	2,076	0.79	1
	Indigenous seats: Rapa Nui	1,871	0.71	1
	Indigenous seats: Chango	910	0.35	1
	Indigenous seats: Kawésqar	249	0.09	1
	Indigenous seats: Yaghan	61	0.02	1
Total		262,441	100.00	17
Valid votes		262,441	92.59
Invalid votes		5,312	1.87
Blank votes		15,686	5.53
Total votes		283,439	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		1,239,295	22.87
Total turnout
All parties and indigenous candidates		5,973,695	100.00	155
Total		5,973,695	100.00	155
Valid votes		5,973,695	92.30
Invalid votes		193,072	2.98
Blank votes		305,399	4.72
Total votes		6,472,166	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		14,900,190	43.44
Source: SERVEL

Composition

• Gender: 78 men and 77 women were elected. Due to the corrections applied to ensure gender parity in each constituency, 4 women and 7 men were elected replacing a different-sex member of their own list with a larger number of votes.^[22]
• Age: The age average of the elected members was 44.5 years. The oldest member was 78 years old at the time of the election, while the youngest was 21 years old.^[23]
• Occupation: 59 of the elected members are lawyers and additional 7 were law students. 20 elected members were teachers, 9 were engineers and 5 were journalists. 6 elected members were former members of Congress and 9 were former government authorities.^[23]
• LGBT: At least 7 of the 155 elected members of the Convention declared to be part of a gender or sexual minority.^[24]

Notes

References