General elections were held in Chile on 17 November 2013 to elect the president, all 120 members of the Chamber of Deputies, 20 of the 38 members of the Senate and 278 members of regional boards. All elected members would serve a four-year term, aside from the Senators would serve for eight years. All the newly elected authorities began their terms on 11 March 2014.
In the presidential election, former president Michelle Bachelet fell short of the absolute majority needed for an outright win. In the runoff election, held on 15 December, she beat former senator and Minister of Labor Evelyn Matthei with over 62% of the vote, with turnout significantly lower than in the first round. This marked the first time two women faced each other in a runoff in Chilean history.
In the parliamentary elections, the New Majority coalition (backing Bachelet's candidacy) won back control of both chambers of Congress, winning 12 of the 20 contested seats in the Senate, for a total of 21 out of 38 total seats, and 67 of the 120 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.
These were the first presidential and parliamentary elections in which all eligible voters were automatically enrolled, and where voting was no longer mandatory (compulsory voting was reintroduced in 2022). Members of the regional boards were directly elected for the first time.
Timeline Notable events and dates.http://www.servel.cl/ss/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobheadername1=content-disposition&blobheadervalue1=inline%3B+filename%3D%22Cronograma+Segunda+Votación+Elección+Presidencial.pdf%22&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1381423812021&ssbinary=true
30 June 2013: Primaries held simultaneously nationwide. Michelle Bachelet and Pablo Longueira win their respective primaries for president. 17 July 2013: Longueira quits the race. 20 July 2013: UDI picks Evelyn Matthei to replace Longueira. 19 August 2013: Deadline to register candidacies. 9 October 2013: First debate. Bachelet does not participate. 18 October 2013: Campaign advertising starts. 25 October 2013: Radio debate. 29–30 October 2013: Two-day television debate. 14 November 2013: Campaign advertising ends. 17 November 2013: Election takes place. 22 November 2013: The Electoral Service publishes on its website a revised count made by polling officers the day after the election. 1 December 2013: Runoff campaign advertising starts. 3 December 2013: The Election Court (Tricel) publishes the final results of the first round election in the Official Gazette and calls for a runoff election between the top two candidates. 6 December 2013: Radio debate. 10 December 2013: Television debate. 12 December 2013: Runoff campaign advertising ends. 15 December 2013: Runoff election. Polls close at 6 PM nationwide. At about 7 PM, Matthei concedes defeat, telling reporters outside her home: "It is clear, she has won". At about 7:20 PM Matthei gives her concession speech. 17 December 2013: The Electoral Service publishes on its website a revised count made by polling officers the day after the election. 10 January 2014: The Tricel officially proclaims Bachelet as President-Elect during a ceremony in Santiago, and publishes the final results of the second round election on its website. 11 March 2014: The President-elect takes office in a ceremony at the National Congress in Valparaíso.
Presidential primaries
In December 2012 a law was published allowing political parties or coalitions to define their candidates for president in government-run primary elections. The two main political groups agreed to choose their candidates this way. Former president Michelle Bachelet won the New Majority primary with 73% of the vote, while former senator and minister Pablo Longueira won the Alliance primary with 51%. Longueira subsequently quit the race and was replaced with Evelyn Matthei. Sitting president Sebastián Piñera did not stand for re-election due to term limits.
Presidential candidates List of candidates who officially registered their candidacies at the Electoral Service. All candidacies were accepted on 28 August 2013. Bachelet's candidacy was automatically accepted after she was proclaimed the winner of her primary by the Election Court.
Candidate Endorsement Remarks Michelle BacheletSocialist Party New Majority: Socialist Party Party for Democracy Broad Social Movement Communist Party Citizen Left Christian Democratic Party Social Democrat Radical Party The former President from 2006 to 2010 became the New Majority candidate after beating three other candidates in a coalition primary held on 30 June 2013. For further details, see Chilean presidential primaries, 2013. Marcel ClaudeHumanist Party Everybody to La Moneda: Humanist Party United Left (movement) The leftist economist and university professor launched his candidacy on 26 January 2013. On 12 March 2013 he was proclaimed by the Humanist Party as their candidate. He officially registered his candidacy at the Electoral Service on 12 August 2013. Marco Enríquez-OminamiProgressive Party If You Want It, Chile Changes: Progressive Party Liberal Party Allendist Socialism (movement) The 2009 candidate launched his candidacy on 4 October 2012 at a theater in Santiago. On 5 May 2013, he was proclaimed as candidate by the Allendist Socialism movement. On 15 June 2013, he was proclaimed as candidate by the Liberal Party (formerly known as Chilefirst) and on 13 July 2013 by the Progressive Party. He officially registered his candidacy at the Electoral Service on 17 August 2013. Ricardo IsraelRegionalist Party of the Independents Regionalist Party of the Independents The political scientist was proclaimed by the Regionalist Party of the Independents (PRI) on 20 July 2013. He officially registered his candidacy at the Electoral Service on 14 August 2013. Tomás Jocelyn-HoltIndependent Independent electors Former Christian Democrat deputy and former member of the Liberal Party (PL). On 9 December 2012, the PL decided to withdraw their support for his candidacy. He officially registered his independent candidacy at the Electoral Service on 19 August 2013. Evelyn MattheiIndependent Democratic Union Alliance: Independent Democratic Union National Renewal The former senator and Labor minister was picked as candidate by her party's political commission on 20 July 2013, replacing Pablo Longueira who had quit the race three days earlier. She was formally proclaimed as candidate by both UDI and National Renewal on 10 August 2013. She officially registered her candidacy at the Electoral Service on 18 August 2013. For further details, see Chilean presidential primaries, 2013. Roxana MirandaEquality Party Equality Party The leader of ANDHA Chile (a group representing mortgage borrowers) was proclaimed on 21 January 2013 as the Equality Party's candidate for president. She officially registered her candidacy at the Electoral Service on 19 August 2013. Franco ParisiIndependent Independent electors Economist and television commentator. On 7 August 2013, Parisi officially registered his independent candidacy at the Electoral Service. He presented over 52 thousand signatures, many more than the required minimum. Alfredo SfeirGreen Ecologist Party Green Ecologist Party The economist and spiritual leader was proclaimed as candidate by the Green Ecologist Party on 13 April 2013, after beating Félix González in a party primary. He officially registered his candidacy at the Electoral Service on 19 August 2013.
Unsuccessful candidacies Eduardo Díaz (Ind.): The former mayor of Toltén and founder of the Party of the South (now defunct) is supported by the Alianza Independiente Regionalista (AIRE) movement. By July 2013 he said he had collected around 28 thousand signatures. However, he did not officially register his candidacy before the legal deadline of 19 August 2013. Pablo Longueira (UDI): The former Minister of Economy and senator became the Alliance candidate for president after he beat Andrés Allamand from the National Renewal party in a two-party primary held on 30 June 2013. However, on 17 July 2013 he unexpectedly quit the race after being diagnosed with depression. Gustavo Ruz (Ind.): Sociologist and founder of the «Movement for a Constituent Assembly» was selected by said group as their candidate on 14 May 2013. On 19 August 2013 he stepped out of the race, having collected only 27 thousand signatures out of the necessary 36 thousand.
Opinion polls for presidential race Legend — Not on the list Wins election May win election Runoff May go to a runoff
First-round scenarios Publisher Field date Bachelet Claude MEO Israel TJH Matthei Miranda Parisi Sfeir Other DK/NR Error Comments CERC 10 – 22 June 2013 51 3 5 — — — — 4 — 24 14 3.0 Source La Segunda-UDD 9 – 10 July 2013 39 2 7 — — — — 6 — 25 21 3 Source CEP 13 July - 18 August 2013 45 2 4 — — 11 — 4 — 14 20 3.0 Open question. (Source) IPSOS 17 August - 9 September 2013 31 7 9 1 2 20 1 13 2 — 15 3.3 Will go to vote (75%). (Source ) IPSOS 17 August - 9 September 2013 33 8 11 1 1 22 1 11 1 — 11 3.3 Likely voters (53%). (Source ) Conecta 30 August -7 September 2013 39.8 3.2 8.8 0.2 — 17.7 0.8 9.9 0.5 4.1 15.0 3.9 Source Ichem (U. Autónoma) 23 August - 27 September 2013 44.4 3.5 8.4 0.2 0.2 17.3 0.0 7.6 0.8 — 17.7 2.35 Will "surely" go to vote (55%). (Source ) La Segunda-UDD 10 – 12 September 2013 38 4 7 0 0 27 0 8 1 — 15 3.1 Source ICSO (UDP) 2 September - 10 October 2013 45.2 4.6 7.3 <1.0 <1.0 15.9 <1.0 12.0 <1.0 4.9 9.6 2.72 Likely voters (51.4%). (Source) CEP 13 September - 14 October 2013 47 3 7 0 0 14 0 10 0 16 3 3.0 Ballot-box vote. (Source) CEP 13 September - 14 October 2013 54 3 8 0 0 19 0 7 0 — 9 3.0 Will "surely" go to vote (50%). Questionnaire. (Source) CEP 13 September - 14 October 2013 53.6 4.1 7.2 0.0 0.1 17.1 0.5 7.8 0.4 9.3 — 3.0 Will "surely" go to vote (50%). Ballot-box vote. (Source) IPSOS 24 September - 4 October 2013 34 6 7 2 2 19 2 15 1 — 12 3.3 Will go to vote (72%). (Source) IPSOS 24 September - 4 October 2013 33 5 7 2 2 23 2 15 1 — 10 3.3 Likely voters (49%). (Source) IPSOS 8 – 18 October 2013 30 6 8 2 2 19 3 15 2 — 13 2.6 Will go to vote (75%). (Source ) IPSOS 8 – 18 October 2013 32 6 7 2 3 20 3 14 2 — 11 2.6 Likely voters (51%). (Source ) La Segunda-UDD 16 – 17 October 2013 40 3 7 0 0 26 0 10 0 — 14 3.4 Source El Mercurio-Opina 19/20 and 26/27 October 2013 46.2 1.7 7.2 0.2 0.1 21.7 1.1 7.9 0.3 13.6 — 3.1 Likely voters (56.1%). Ballot-box vote. (Source ) IPSOS 19 October - 5 November 2013 30 5 12 2 0 20 3 13 2 — 13 2.2 Will go to vote (76%). (Source) IPSOS 19 October - 5 November 2013 32 6 11 2 0 20 3 14 3 — 9 2.2 Likely voters (54%). (Source )
Second-round scenarios
Bachelet vs. Matthei Publisher Field date Bachelet Matthei Other DK/NR Error Comments Conecta 30 August - 7 September 2013 57.6 23.1 9.3 10.0 3.9 Source ICSO (UDP) 2 September - 10 October 2013 47.4 17.2 22.0 13.4 2.72 Source Ipsos-Usach 21 November - 2 December 2013 65.2 34.9 — — 4.3 Voted in first round and will go to vote. (Source)
Presidential campaign
Debates
First round
The first debate was organized by ANP (National Press Association) and CNN Chile and took place in Coquimbo's Enjoy Casino on 9 October. It ran from 20:00-22:00 with all candidates —except Bachelet, citing a prior commitment— participating. It was moderated by CNN Chile anchor Daniel Matamala. There were four other journalists from regional media present who asked the candidates two randomly selected questions. Matamala also asked two questions, which were the same to all eight candidates.