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| 2017 Chilean regionalization referendum | |
|---|---|
| Name | 2017 Chilean regionalization referendum |
| Country | Chile |
| Date | 27 August 2017 |
| Type | Consultative referendum |
| Electorate | 14,000,000 |
| Turnout | 43.4% |
2017 Chilean regionalization referendum was a consultative plebiscite held in the Republic of Chile on 27 August 2017 to gauge public preference on administrative decentralization and the election of regional authorities. The initiative involved President Michelle Bachelet's administration, the National Congress of Chile, regional actors such as the Intendant of Santiago Metropolitan Region, and national civil society groups including the Central Unión Autónoma de Municipalidades and the Confederación Nacional de Funcionarios Municipales. The vote formed part of a broader reform agenda that intersected with debates in the Chilean Constitution process, the Nueva Mayoría coalition, and opposition parties such as Renovación Nacional and the Unión Demócrata Independiente.
Chile's regional structure traces to reforms initiated under Arturo Alessandri and later reorganizations under Augusto Pinochet's regime, with regions such as Antofagasta Region and Magallanes Region gaining prominence after the 1974 regionalization plan. During the post-dictatorship era, actors including the Christian Democratic Party (Chile), the Socialist Party of Chile, and the Independent Democratic Union debated regional autonomy amid pressures from the Comisión Rettig and the Comisión Valech. Under President Michelle Bachelet's second term, proposals to elect regional executives and reform the Regional Council system were advanced alongside constitutional discussions involving the Citizen Participation and Social Dialogue Law and initiatives linked to the Constitutional Convention. Legislative proposals in the Chamber of Deputies of Chile and the Senate of Chile culminated in a consultative referendum to inform parliamentary decisions.
Voters were presented with a primary question about the model of selecting regional authorities, framed within the Political Constitution of the Republic of Chile's decentralization debate. Options included direct election of a regional executive known as a regional governor (alternatively titled by proponents as a "subnational president") versus maintenance of the appointed intendant system. The ballot also asked about the preferred mechanism for the regional legislative body, juxtaposing the existing Consejo Regional with proposals for expanded regional assemblies inspired by models in the Autonomous Communities of Spain and federal arrangements such as in the Federative Republic of Brazil. Civic organizations including the Servicio Electoral de Chile and think tanks like Libertad y Desarrollo circulated explanatory materials to contextualize each option.
The campaign featured prominent figures: President Michelle Bachelet, ministers such as Claudio Alvarado and Gabriel de la Fuente, party leaders from Partido por la Democracia and Partido Regionalista Verde Social, and municipal associations led by mayors like Joaquín Lavín and Daniel Jadue. Mass media outlets including Televisión Nacional de Chile, El Mercurio, and La Tercera covered televised debates alongside civil society forums hosted by the Centro de Estudios Públicos and the Instituto Libertad y Desarrollo. Opposition coalitions such as the Chile Vamos pact campaigned differently across regions like Valparaíso Region and Biobío Region, while indigenous organizations including representatives from the Mapuche movement and the Comunidad Indígena Aymara inserted regional autonomy demands into the discourse.
Administration of the vote fell to the Servicio Electoral de Chile (SERVEL), which coordinated polling stations across metropolitan and rural jurisdictions including Santiago Metropolitan Region, Los Lagos Region, and Atacama Region. Procedures referenced earlier electoral reforms debated in the Consejo para la Transparencia and followed norms from prior plebiscites such as the 1988 Chilean national plebiscite and the 1989 Chilean general election. Ballot design, voter registration, and special provisions for expatriate Chileans were managed in collaboration with the Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública and municipal secretariats; international observers from regional bodies like the Organization of American States were not formally deployed but local observers from the Observatorio Ciudadano monitored compliance.
Voter turnout was approximately 43.4%, with regional variations showing higher engagement in areas such as Araucanía Region and lower participation in Aysén Region. The consultative outcome favored direct election of regional executives and expansion of regional legislative capacities, mirroring public demands articulated in surveys by the Centro de Estudios Públicos and the Instituto de Estudios Públicos (Chile). Political reactions spanned from affirmations by the Socialist Party of Chile and centrist factions like the Christian Democratic Party (Chile) to reservations voiced by conservative forces within Unión Demócrata Independiente. Detailed tallies were certified by SERVEL and transmitted to the National Congress of Chile.
Following the consultative vote, legislative action in the Chamber of Deputies of Chile and the Senate of Chile accelerated debates about statutory and constitutional changes, with ministers from the Presidency of the Republic of Chile submitting draft bills. Subsequent laws redefined the role of the regional executive, transitioning titles and competencies toward an elected regional governor; transitional arrangements addressed appointments of current intendants and the timing of first elections, coordinated with scheduled municipal and regional electoral calendars administered by SERVEL. The reform process involved legal scrutiny by the Supreme Court of Chile in cases challenging aspects of the transition and consultations with regional governments including the Consejo de Desarrollo Regional.
Scholars from institutions such as the Universidad de Chile, the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez analyzed the referendum as a watershed in Chilean decentralization, comparing outcomes to models in the Kingdom of Spain, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Federative Republic of Brazil. Analyses in journals and policy briefs published by the Centro de Estudios Públicos and the Instituto Libertad y Desarrollo examined implications for intergovernmental finance, electoral competition, and indigenous consultation frameworks involving the IACHR and domestic indigenous law. The shift influenced later constitutional deliberations in the Chilean constitutional plebiscite cycle and informed administrative reforms affecting regional planning agencies, territorial development funds, and the political careers of figures such as Beatriz Sánchez and Franco Parisi.