General elections were held in Chile on 16 November 2025. Voters went to the polls to elect the 38th president of Chile, renew all 155 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, and fill 23 of the 50 seats in the Senate. Republican Party candidate José Antonio Kast defeated Communist Party member Jeannette Jara in a runoff election on 14 December.
In the first round, Jara, a member of the Communist Party of Chile, won a plurality of the vote. Kast, who has been described as conservative or hard-right, placed second. Combined, right-leaning candidates received approximately 70 percent of the first-round presidential vote. Johannes Kaiser and Evelyn Matthei, both candidates on the right, endorsed Kast for the runoff, while Franco Parisi declined to make an endorsement, calling on his voters to decide themselves who to vote for. In the runoff, Kast defeated Jara in a landslide victory with 58% of the vote, the second-highest percentage of the vote since Chile's transition to democracy. Kast received 7.2 million votes, which was the highest ever vote total in Chile's history. He won in all sixteen regions of the country.
In the parliamentary election, Unidad por Chile, a coalition of the ruling leftist and center-left parties, emerged as the largest bloc of the Chamber of Deputies, while in the Senate the left-wing and right-wing blocs reached a tie with 25 senators each.
This was the first general election since the reintroduction of compulsory voting in 2022.
Background
The 2021 presidential election saw left-wing candidate Gabriel Boric, a former student protest leader during the 2011–2013 student protests, defeat conservative rival José Antonio Kast in a runoff. Boric's victory was attributed to widespread youth mobilization, dissatisfaction with the center-right administration of Sebastián Piñera, and economic strains following the COVID-19 pandemic. His platform emphasized social equity, feminist reforms, and a "dignified life" for marginalized groups, pledging to dismantle Chile's "patriarchal inheritance".
By mid-2023, Boric's approval ratings had plummeted to 28%, with 66% disapproving of his administration, according to polls. Analysts cited economic stagnation, legislative gridlock, and public safety concerns as primary factors. The right-wing Republican Party, led by Kast, capitalized on this discontent, securing a dominant victory in the May 2023 Constitutional Council elections, resulting in the failed 2023 Chilean constitutional referendum. Kast declared the results a mandate for "a major change in government", positioning himself as a frontrunner for 2025. Meanwhile, Evelyn Matthei of the Independent Democratic Union (UDI) also gained traction in opinion polls.
Electoral system This was the first presidential and congressional election since a constitutional amendment was passed and promulgated on 27 December 2022, restoring compulsory voting for all elections and plebiscites for the first time since 2012, except in primary elections. Eligible citizens who did not vote faced a fine of approximately 33,000 pesos (around US$35).
President The President is elected using the two-round system; if no candidate receives over 50% of the vote to win outright in the first round, a second round will be held.
National Congress Chamber of Deputies: The 155 members are elected from 28 multi-member constituencies (3–8 seats each) using open-list proportional representation with the d'Hondt method. Senate: The 50 senators serve staggered eight-year terms. Half the chamber (25 seats) is renewed each general election, elected from 16 regional constituencies (2–5 seats each) under similar proportional rules.
Presidential candidates Registered
Seven of the following eight candidates were registered with the Electoral Service (Servel) and were accepted on 29 August 2025. Jeannette Jara, as a primary winner, was automatically registered as a candidate on 14 July 2025. Advanced to runoff + Candidate Endorsement IdeologyRef.RemarksJeannette JaraPCCh Unity for Chile: PCCh FA PDC PL PPD PR PS VRH: FREVS Humanist Action IEPAH: Equality Party People's PartyProgressivismDemocratic socialismCommunismJeannette Jara, former minister, won the Unity for Chile center-left coalition's presidential primary with 60% of the vote in nationwide elections held on 29 June 2025. Her candidacy was automatically registered with Servel when the Election Certification Tribunal declared her the winner on 14 July 2025. The Christian Democrats (DC), who were not part of the primary coalition, decided on 26 July to join the alliance, run on a unified parliamentary list, and support Jara's presidential bid. In addition to the DC, several non-official left-wing parties declared their support for Jara. However, two parties that participated in the primary—Social Green Regionalist Federation (FRVS) and Humanist Action (AH)—withdrew from the coalition on 16 August to register an independent parliamentary list named Verdes, Regionalistas y Humanistas, led by former Valparaíso mayor Jorge Sharp. While reiterating their support for Jara's presidential candidacy, FRVS and AH leaders stated that the move was intended to highlight their regionalist, environmental, and humanist agendas and to compete on equal terms in the legislative elections.José Antonio KastPRCh Change for Chile: PRCh PSCRight-wing populismNational conservatismJosé Antonio Kast, former deputy and founder of the Republican Party, was proclaimed as the party's presidential candidate on 9 January 2025, running directly in the November election without participating in any opposition primaries. He received additional backing from the Christian Social Party on 19 July 2025. Kast officially registered his candidacy with Servel on 18 August 2025, marking his third bid for the presidency. During his registration, he criticized what he described as a campaign of lies and defamation against him, emphasized the need for economic growth to improve pensions, and highlighted his proposals for public security, social order, and the welfare of animals.
Eliminated in first round + Candidate Endorsement IdeologyRef.RemarksEduardo ArtésIndependent PC (AP)Independent electorsMarxism–LeninismSocialist patriotismAnti-ZionismMultipolarityLeft-wing nationalismEduardo Artés, presidential candidate for the Communist Party (Proletarian Action), confirmed in December 2024 that he would make a third bid for the presidency, stating that his campaign seeks to reform Chile and end what he calls the country's "political duopoly". Because his party is not legally registered nationwide, he was required to gather over 35,000 signatures to qualify as an independent. Shortly before the registration deadline in August 2025, his campaign announced it had met this requirement, and he officially registered with Servel on 19 August 2025.Marco Enríquez-OminamiIndependent IEPAH: Humanist Party Independent electorsDemocratic socialismProgressivismMarco Enríquez-Ominami, former deputy, confirmed on 3 August 2025 that he had collected 36,200 signatures—exceeding the 35,361 required—to run for president for a fifth time. In February, he had said he would consider another campaign, calling himself "a political animal" still "in the fight." He officially registered his candidacy with Servel on 18 August 2025 with over 37,000 independent sponsorships, declaring that he personally financed his nationwide tour and online campaign to gather the signatures.Johannes KaiserPNL Change for Chile: PNLSocial conservatismPaleolibertarianismPinochetismJohannes Kaiser, deputy, was proclaimed as the presidential candidate for the National Libertarian Party (PNL) on 12 July 2025 during a ceremony at Espacio Riesco attended by around three thousand people, which included a controversial rendition of the Chilean National Anthem's third stanza. Kaiser officially registered his candidacy with Servel on 14 August 2025, presenting his government program and emphasizing that he has a "solid base to start the campaign" despite pressure to withdraw and unfavorable polling results.Evelyn MattheiUDI Chile Grande y Unido: Chile Vamos: UDI RN Evópoli Democrats AxChLiberal conservatismEconomic liberalismConservative liberalismEvelyn Matthei, former senator and minister, was endorsed as a presidential candidate by National Renewal on 11 January 2025, the UDI on 18 January, and Evópoli on 22 March, making her the nominee of the entire Chile Vamos coalition. Amarillos por Chile declared its support on 6 June. Matthei formally registered her candidacy with Servel on 16 August 2025, at which time Chile Vamos and Democrats presented their joint parliamentary pact, Great and United Chile. Before her official registration, Matthei held the status of pre-candidate—a term in Chile for those who announce their intention to run for office ahead of the formal registration period. This designation permits limited campaigning under Servel supervision, including the ability to receive donations and incur electoral expenses within regulated limits.Harold Mayne-NichollsIndependentIndependent electorsHarold Mayne-Nicholls, journalist and former president of the ANFP, confirmed on 16 August 2025 that he had collected the 35,361 signatures required to run for president. He officially registered his independent candidacy with Servel on 18 August 2025, presenting members of his team and emphasizing his campaign's focus on security, education, health, and housing. Mayne-Nicholls has framed his candidacy around dialogue, moderation, and his experience managing major projects such as the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.Franco ParisiPDG PDGPopulismE-democracyFranco Parisi, presidential candidate for the Party of the People (PDG), was officially proclaimed by his party on 6 May 2025 at the Santiago Congress headquarters, marking the start of his third presidential bid. He criticized both left- and right-wing parties for prioritizing their own interests over the middle class and expressed his goal of reaching a second-round runoff while winning parliamentary seats for his party. Parisi officially registered his candidacy with Servel on 18 August 2025, asserting that "the polls are lying" and highlighting the influence of his parliamentary candidates, including deputy Pamela Jiles.
Withdrawn Félix González (Green Ecologist Party), deputy for District 20 in the Biobío Region, announced his presidential bid on 6 January 2025, saying, "we have decided to collect the signatures to register an ecologist candidacy, because environmental issues are absent from the public agenda." He emphasized urgent social and climate security, adding, "we have the obligation to raise pensions... and face fires, floods, and droughts." González ultimately did not register and did not appear on the November 2025 ballot. Vlado Mirosevic (Liberal Party, PL), deputy for District 1 in the Arica and Parinacota Region, was proclaimed his party's presidential candidate on 12 October 2024 and planned to run in the center-left primaries. But with the Liberal Party lacking national status, it needed 35,361 signatures to validate his candidacy; by 31 March, it had only 9,851 members. Mirosevic withdrew on 16 April 2025 and endorsed Carolina Tohá. He denied the signature shortfall was the reason, arguing that multiple candidates from the PS, PPD, and PL risked handing victory to the Communist Party, and called Tohá the most competitive option. Francesca Muñoz (Christian Social Party, PSC), deputy for District 20 in the Biobío Region, was proclaimed her party's presidential candidate on 29 April 2025, following the resignation of Senator Rojo Edwards and amid a new alliance with the Republican and National Libertarian parties. But on 30 June, she ended her bid and endorsed José Antonio Kast, calling the moment one that "demands brave, generous, and responsible decisions," and urging her supporters to back his candidacy.