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| 2017 Chilean regional elections | |
|---|---|
| Election name | 2017 Chilean regional elections |
| Country | Chile |
| Type | regional |
| Previous election | 2013 Chilean regional elections |
| Previous year | 2013 |
| Next election | 2021 Chilean regional elections |
| Next year | 2021 |
| Election date | 19 November 2017 |
2017 Chilean regional elections were held on 19 November 2017 to elect regional officials across Chile, including regional governors and regional board members (consejeros regionales). The elections occurred alongside the 2017 Chilean general election cycle and formed part of a broader set of political reforms enacted during the administrations of Michelle Bachelet and debated during the transition to the Presidency of Sebastián Piñera, involving controversies among Renovación Nacional, Unión Demócrata Independiente, Partido Socialista de Chile, and Partido por la Democracia.
Reform momentum traced to constitutional debates following the Pinochet dictatorship era and initiatives from the Bachelet administration aimed at decentralization, which intersected with proposals from the Congress of Chile and disputes involving the Constitution of Chile and regionalist movements such as those in Araucanía Region and Magallanes Region. Political coalitions including Nueva Mayoría and Chile Vamos negotiated positions against newer groupings like Movimiento Autonomista and Partido Igualdad, while civic organizations such as Atemporal and indigenous bodies including Mapuche councils lobbied for electoral recognition and autonomy. Debates over the intendente role, the reform of the Consejo Regional and decentralization statutes were influenced by rulings and discussions in the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, the Senate of Chile, and by prominent figures such as Alberto Espina, Guillermo Teillier, and Carolina Goic.
The elections used a mixed system stemming from the 2015–2016 decentralization laws and amendments to electoral codes debated in the National Congress of Chile. Voters selected regional governors and regional board members, with the latter elected through proportional representation mechanisms similar to reforms affecting the Servel administration and analogous to shifts observed in previous municipal contests like the 2016 municipal elections in Chile. The system incorporated voter registration processes administered by the Servicio Electoral de Chile and applied gender parity rules influenced by international commitments such as those discussed at the Organization of American States and by civil society groups including Fundación Ciudadanía Inteligente and Observatorio Ciudadano. Changes to candidate thresholds, campaign finance regulations and ballot design reflected negotiations involving parties like Partido Demócrata Cristiano, Partido Comunista de Chile, Partido Regionalista Verde Social, and new formations such as Evópoli.
Major coalitions presented lists that included national figures moving into regional contests: members of Partido Socialista de Chile and leaders from Movimiento Amplio Social contested seats alongside politicians from Unión Demócrata Independiente and Renovación Nacional who mobilized support from regional notables like former mayors associated with Partido Radical. Campaign strategies invoked endorsements from personalities such as Alejandro Guillier, Sebastián Piñera, and Beatriz Sánchez, and leveraged media outlets including El Mercurio (Chile), La Tercera, and Televisión Nacional de Chile. Indigenous representation featured candidates tied to Consejo de Todas las Tierras and advocacy groups such as Corporación Nacional de Desarrollo Indígena (CONADI), while environmental parties like Ecologistas and regionalist lists in Los Ríos Region and Atacama Region emphasized resource governance debates connected to companies such as Codelco and projects like HidroAysén. Campaign finance clashes invoked scrutiny by Tribunal Calificador de Elecciones and NGOs such as Chile Transparente.
Turnout and outcomes reshaped regional political maps: seats shifted among Nueva Mayoría, Chile Vamos, Partido Comunista de Chile and emergent lists, producing notable victories in regions like Metropolitan Region of Santiago and Valparaíso Region while altering power balances in Biobío Region and La Araucanía Region. Several incumbents associated with the Concertación era lost to candidates backed by Chile Vamos and independent coalitions, and regional boards saw increased pluralism with representation from Partido Regionalista Verde Social and independents linked to activist networks such as No+AFP. The Servicio Electoral de Chile released official tallies that reflected fragmentation similar to trends seen in the 2017 Chilean presidential election and legislative races, with proportional allocation affecting policy leverage in regional administrations and alliances forming for subsequent governance.
The elections accelerated debates about decentralization, affecting initiatives in the National Congress of Chile regarding the election of intendants and the implementation of the 2015–2018 decentralization roadmap sponsored by figures such as Alejandro Guillier and Andrés Chadwick. Outcomes influenced appointments in the Presidency of Sebastián Piñera and negotiations over regional budgets with institutions like the Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública (Chile), and catalyzed legislative proposals concerning constitutional reform and indigenous consultation processes under frameworks referenced by International Labour Organization conventions. Longer-term impacts included altered party strategies for the 2021 Chilean regional elections cycle and shifts in regional policymaking on issues tied to actors such as Codelco, ENAP, and tourism development boards in Magallanes Region and Los Lagos Region.
Category:2017 elections in Chile Category:Regional elections in Chile