Chile’s new proposed Constitution has been rejected. Most polls ahead of the vote put the Rechazo option in the lead, but in the end it was a blowout. The majority of voters did not like the text drafted by the Constitutional Convention.
Chile’s electoral service (Servel) started publishing results soon after polls closed at 6 p.m. on Sept. 4. As of 8:35 p.m. this evening, results were in from 38,152 of 38,757 tables, which corresponds to over 98 percent of the votes cast, and the Rechazo (reject) option has crushed the Apruebo (approve) option 61.9 percent to 38.1 percent.
Apruebo voters were optimistic when votes from outside of Chile in other timezones largely approved of the new Constitution. Things changed dramatically, however, once votes from within Chile started being counted.
Punta Arenas, President Gabriel Boric’s hometown, was the first city in the national territory to announce results, and even it was decidedly Rechazo. In the end, all 16 of Chile’s regions flatly rejected the new Constitution.
Acknowledging the win, La del Rechazo spokesperson Claudio Salinas said, “The Chileans saw a path of hope through the Rechazo. This Sept. 4 [election] was the first fence to move forward. Together we must move forward, Chile does not require more division.” He added that the election was “the most important since the return of democracy.” Rightwing political parties assured that beginning tomorrow, Sept. 5, they will try to craft a new text.
Even before the results were unveiled, Boric called for a meeting on Sept. 5 at 4 p.m. in La Moneda with all the political parties, to discuss the path ahead.
Catalina Vergara is graduated in Social Communications from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. She has previously worked on Strategic Communications.