This 2024 election calendar sets a general election for the month of October, and two eventual electoral processes: primaries in June and the second vote in November. These elections, being of a local nature, will have voting only in the national territory.
The most important elections will be those to elect regional governors, regional councilors, mayors and councilors, scheduled for October 27. These elections are mandatory.
Before, however, and with voluntary voting, primary elections are scheduled to define the candidates who will participate in said elections.
Therefore, a good part of the year will be occupied by the electoral schedule.
Regarding the October elections, this week the Government echoed a Servel approach regarding extending the election day to two days.
The Electoral Service proposal contemplates holding the Elections of Regional Governors, Regional Councilors, Mayors and Councilors on October 27 on two days: Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27. Among the technical reasons, he considers that there are four elections with about 20 thousand candidates. The electoral cards of regional councilors and councilors can be very large, up to 46 x 70 centimeters, some with more than 100 candidates and 8 folds. A voter could spend up to 5 minutes alone in the secret chamber (voting, doubling a vote and affixing a seal). Being an election with mandatory voting, Servel foresees a total participation of 85% of the electoral roll, doubling the number of voters who voted in the 2021 election (similar to this one), where 6.4 million people voted.
Furthermore, the table, serving two voters simultaneously, would take 2.5 minutes for each voter (without considering delays in identification or longer time for assisted voting). The table would need more than 14 uninterrupted hours to serve 340 voters (85% of its registry), that is, from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Given this, a single-day election would mean delay, hassle, lines and crowds. It makes it easier for the voter who works or works shifts to be able to choose which day to go to vote.
“This two-day measure was applied in May 2021 with great success and without incident, so Servel has the experience to carry out this proposal,” said Andrés Tagle, President of the Board of Directors of Servel.
Likewise, thought has been given to the work of the members, “it would be an effort for the members, but they must be paid for both days.”
The idea, according to Tagle, is for Congress to rule on the matter, hopefully in April for processing.
Accepting this idea, the Government announced during the week the presentation to Congress of the corresponding legal reform.
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